Breath For A New Verse
by DesertChocolate
Summary: Zelda and Link have saved the land of Hyrule. They're rebuilding, with new Champions, fighting to make their home safe again. But they could use some help. Meanwhile, Eddard Stark has no idea where the Shrine in his backyard came from.
1. Chapter 1

In the fields of Hyrule, Queen Zelda of the Hylians leaned down over her work, ignoring the sounds of Link's sword slicing into flesh. She sighed slightly as she manipulated the Sheikah Plate in her hands. After a moment of using the device and listening to the sound of Link yelling in the background, she looked up at the area around her.

It had been a full year since she'd finally been released from her battle with Ganon. A full year of traveling with Link, rebuilding her home. Hyrule Castle was in the distance, a series of Guardians scurrying across the structure as they worked on the ancient building. The spider-like creatures that had once terrorized the land glowed blue in the distance. Zelda looked over at the shrine she was working on. She'd managed to open a panel on the access plate, and had a set of wires running to the Sheikah Plate.

"Link, can you come over here and help me?" She turned to look at the knight.

"Hayah!" The Master Sword swung into the flesh of a Lynel's right pectoral, biting deep. The massive creature roared, its eyes flashing with rage.

In appearance, the two combatants couldn't have been more different. The Lynel was a massive creature, as large as the elephants Zelda had heard of. They had the heads of lions, massive torso's chiseled with muscles that lead to, of all things, a powerful horse body. It sounded ridiculous if you didn't see it in person.

If you couldn't see the muscles bunching up beneath fur that shone like steel. The enormous cudgel of stone the size of a Hylian male, a brute instrument of power, clenched in clawed fingers as lethal as any sword. The way the eyes flashed with hatred, or its fangs shone, and the smell of its musk filling the air with a sweet, rotten scent.

In comparison, her knight was almost minuscule. He was in the air now, flipping back as he roared in fury. Though he'd grown much taller in the year since he'd freed her, he was still tiny compared to the Lynel, his blue tunic fluttering about him as he swung out the Master Sword. A shield of blue light combined with the light of the glowing sword to illuminate his pale skin, blonde hair, and bright eyes in a hue of sapphire.

But for all the difference in size between them, none could doubt the shared ferocity of the two. The rage, the hatred they shared, was clear as day.

Link landed, his eyes hard. His hands tightened around the hilt of his sword, his Ancient Shield up high. The Lynel swung its cudgel at Link. The knight twisted his shield into the blow, blue light parrying hundreds of pounds of stone away from him. In a quick twist, he lashed out with his other hand, stabbing the Lynel in the right pectoral as the large beast staggered. The Lynel roared in pain and rage.

Link didn't hesitate. As the Lynel reared back, he stepped forward into its grasp and began to slash. Like a butcher gone mad, Link slashed into the skin of his opponent. Zelda only saw a blur of speed floating alongside the Lynel as the massive beast stumbled back. Cuts opened in the side of the creature, cut by an invisible blade at incredible speeds.

It was over with a vicious stab to the heart.

Link didn't give his enemy even the dignity of watching him die. He simply turned and walked over to join Zelda as the Lynel fell to the ground and bled out onto the grass.

Zelda smiled just a bit. One hundred years ago, she might have felt shocked by Link's almost business-like attitude towards the battle. She may have felt pity.

But that was one hundred years ago. Before she had held herself in constant battle with darkness itself and watched her home fall to ruin. Now, she ignored the corpse as she held out the Sheikah Plate to Link.

"There are some files I must access. These may be the most complete ones I have found so far, at least in terms of size," She explained as Link took the plate and began manipulating the controls with practiced ease. "I'm hoping that it will... well, help with everything."

She looked out over the land once more. It was beautiful. Tree branches were rustled by the wind. Sunlight shining on the water.

But then there were the ruins she remembered as thriving villages. The farms of wheat that were now empty fields of grass.

As Zelda mused on this, Link handed her back the Shiekah Plate. She turned and smiled a bit ruefully. "I must say, it is quite vexing that only the Hero of Light has full access to the Shrines. Do I get nothing as Princess?"

Link quirked an eyebrow, nodding firmly in agreement with her disappointment. Zelda pouted. "Well, as long as you are here." She took the plate back and began to look through the files.

"...Oh," Zelda's eyes widened. "Oh, my! This is even better than I'd hoped!"

She spun to Link. "I think I have found the answer! Come, we must hurry to the castle!"

-

In the year since Calamity Ganon's defeat, a lot had changed. The once desolate and ruined Hyrule Castle was now a bustling small city. Hylians, Gorons, Rito, Gerudo, Zora, and Sheikah roamed where monsters once had, destroyed dining rooms and halls now almost completely returned to their former glory.

The biggest change, however, was in the area around the castle. As Zelda rode behind Link, she could see the new structures surrounding the castle. Made in the styles of the people of Hyrule, the place was a lively mishmash of Gerudo style homes, Rito towers, and several workshops made from ancient technology, with blue flames alight across the city. Blue and orange lights flickered across the city, and several Guardians strode the streets above the inhabitants.

Of course, Zelda barely had any time to appreciate the city she was riding through. The most she got was the flicker of a familiar face. This was due to the fact that Link rarely rode on horses anymore. Not since he received the Divine Beast Master Cycle Zero.

The horse Divine Beast sped around a carriage as Zelda held tight to her knight's waist, whooping with excitement. Her hair blew in the wind of their passage, and Link smirked. They went down newly raised streets, and people called out to them in happiness as they sped past.

"Faster!" Zelda cheered with glee. "Faster!"

Link released a short bark of laughter. The Divine Beast under them seemed to roar in agreement, and they blasted forward.

As they reached their destination, Link and Zelda tensed. At the absolute last second, the pair flipped off the Master Cycle Zero. The Divine Beast spun around as they landed, parking itself with a final purr of noise.

Zelda tried her best to return to her stern demeanor as Link took his place behind her and just to the right, his usual guarding position. Riding the Master Cycle was just so... _exhilarating!_ She pushed down her smile and simply walked with her knight into the building in front of them.

The building they strode into was based on the design of Sheikah homes, just much larger. On a stone monument next to the building entrance as they walked in was a set of names.

 _Mipha. Revali. Daruuk. Urbosa._

Zelda didn't give the monument a glance. Neither did Link.

Four others, however, did. As they strode with Link, they gave the monument bearing their names a glance. Nothing more.

And then they were in the main room.

Zelda smiled at those awaiting her. "My Champions."

The warmth of her voice filled the room.

"Princess!" Sidon, the prince of the Zora barked happily, pumping his fist in his usual manner. His red skin gleamed in the light, and his shark-like teeth flashed with his happy smile. He stood to the right of the circular table in the center of the room. For a moment, Zelda was sent to another age, when he was far younger, smiling at his older sister. The moment passed, leaving a familiar ache.

"Milady," Teba, the Rito warrior, nodded simply from his seat across from Sidon. His white feathers fluttered slightly, and though he didn't smile, he seemed satisfied. He was tending to an unstrung bow in his hand, one scavenged from a Lynel based on the various blades on its surface.

Riju, the Gerudo Chieftess, smiled as well, though she frowned when she looked between Zelda and Link. It was only for a moment before she smiled again, but Zelda wondered briefly about it. The tiny chieftess of the Gerudo was wearing her usual clothes, her large red ponytail brushing her ankles. She had grown in the past year, showing muscles in her arms and abdomen that she hadn't displayed before. But she was still minuscule compared to the others. On the table before her rested the Thunder Helm, a mystical object that she had once loaned to Link.

The last of them was the largest. Yunobo, the Goron Champion, dwarfed everyone in the room. He wore only a skirt made of steel and a blue scarf, similar to the blue cloth the others included in their ensemble. He slowly chewed at a piece of stone in his hands, massive jaws slicing through granite with ease. On the entrance of Link and Zelda, he hurriedly tried to put away the stone, swallow, and wave. Instead, he coughed, massive bulk shuddering as bits of stone got caught in his throat.

Zelda graciously ignored the Goron Youth's plight, instead stepping towards the table as Link went to smack Yunobo on the back. As the superhuman Hylian slammed a powerful palm onto his friends back, Zelda began to speak.

"Greetings, Champions of Hyrule. I have news of great importance," she began. The group sat, Yunobo swallowing the stone in his throat. "For the past week, as part of our recovery efforts, Link and myself have been traveling between the shrines. Using the research of Purah, Robbie, and the other Sheikah, as well as my own notes, I began to 'hack' into the shrines."

Sidon blinked at that, shark-like teeth flashing. "Hack? I thought we were trying to keep them safe."

Riju chuckled. "Not that kind of hacking. It's an old Sheikah term. Means going into the tech without permission."

"Indeed," Zelda said, though she noted the strangeness of Riju's familiarity with the term. "I was researching records of old allies of Hyrule, those who came from across the seas."

Teba quirked an eyebrow at that. As he restrung his bow, he spoke. "Old allies. What for?"

"To aid in our rebuilding," Zelda said sadly. "As it is, Hyrule is nowhere near its former strength. And I fear that, with Calamity Ganon gone, others may try to take advantage of us. Enemies once held back by his power."

"Let 'em come!" Sidon declared proudly. "We're the Champions! We can handle them!"

Zelda looked at Sidon. Then she looked at Link, leading Sidon to look over at him as well.

Link was eyeing Sidon sadly. His eyes had changed color from their usual blue. Instead, they were a familiar brown, slit like Sidon's. Zora eyes. Eyes of another person.

Zelda turned away. Sidon faltered, eyes widening with a sad pain. Link, as always, didn't speak. He simply looked around the room.

"...Point made," Riju said, sighing. "Okay, Princess. You said something about enemies?"

"And allies," Yunobo added. "Who did you mean?"

Zelda smiled. "In my research, I discovered reports of a man called, 'The Builder'. A wise human King."

"Human?" Teba asked. "I thought they only lived in other parts of the world."

"At times," Zelda admitted. "But at certain parts of Hyrule's history, humans aided and even lived among us. This particular one was credited with building Hyrule Castle."

Yunobo whistled. "He must have been really good!"

"Indeed," Zelda said. "Since he created it 8000 years ago."

"I didn't realize the castle was so old," Teba said with a frown.

"Not all of it is," Zelda admitted. "But the foundations and much of the main structure couldn't have been done with the Builder's aid. At least, according to the records I have. In return, he asked for access to one rune. Cryonis."

"The ice rune?" Teba asked, his frown growing deeper, the serious-minded Rito raising a hand to stroke his beak in thought.

"In the end," Zelda continued. "He offered the aid of his people, should we ever need it."

Riju scoffed. "Yes, 8000 years ago. As far as I know, even Zora and Sheikah can't live that long, let alone humans. I don't think his descendants will be willing to help for nothing."

Sidon nodded. "They'll want things from us. We need to decide exactly what we want from these people, and what we have to give in return," the Prince of Zora said.

"How do we even find them?" Yunobo asked. He scratched the back of his head slowly. "I mean, where did they come from? Where did they go?"

"I do not know, Yunobo," Zelda admitted. "But the last of the files I compiled showed records of a final shrine."

Link grimaced. The others looked over at him, Riju smirking. "What's wrong hero? I thought you couldn't get enough of shrines."

Link only sighed, leaning back in his seat. He was famous for the fact that he had traversed into the depths of over 120 shrines, known throughout Hyrule for it as one of his many feats. Only those knew would realize how annoying he found them, especially from the look in his eyes.

Zelda held back her amusement at the petulant way Link was acting. "Luckily, this is not a true Shrine. Instead, it is a gateway of sorts. The Builder had his people create one in his own land. If it works, it will allow us to traverse between the two points instantaneously!" Zelda declared happily. "I believe it must use some form of Sheikah technology to make the two points exist, for a moment, in the same location, like folding a piece of paper than unfolding it! This technology must be incredibly powerful, possibly combined with magic in some way!" She stopped when she realized how enthusiastic she was getting, barely holding back a blush.

Of the group, only Teba and Riju looked as though they had followed what she was saying. The others only stared at her in surprise. No wonder. Even after a year, it took a lot to revert her to the eager scholar she had once been.

Coughing gently, she continued. "I believe it would best if we, as the Champions of Hyrule, go through first. Not only are we representative of Hyrule, we also all the skills to defend ourselves if need be from hostiles. I only ask that you join me for a month at most, but if you wish not to-"

"I'm in!" Sidon declared instantly.

Teba frowned. "I'll have to tell my wife... but I think it will be all right."

"The Gerudo will be lead by Buliara while I'm gone," Riju said calmly. "As long as I'm not gone too long."

"I-I'd like to go as well!" Yunobo stammered. He chuckled nervously. "It sounds fun."

Zelda smiled, warmth filling her. For a moment, the faces of four others covered those of her New Champions. But she let the pain of old failures and the beauty of old memories fade away.

After all, if someone tried to kill her new Champions... well. She'd gained quite the mastery of her magic in the past one hundred years.

-

On another continent, Eddard Stark stood before Winterfell with Rodrick Cassel and Luwin, the Lord of Winterfell, his maester, and his master-of-arms staring at the phenomenon in front of them.

"Anything yet?" Eddard asked.

Luwin shook his head. "All I can tell you, my lord, is that this is, according to ancient records, not some sort of attack. This structure was always supposed to appear."

"Old gods protect us," Rodrick said simply.

Eddard only folded his arms.

Before them, to the left of the gates of Winterfell, was a large and round building. One that glowed orange across the surface of a strange metal. Only one sentence, carved above what could have been a doorway of sorts, gave a clue to what it may have been.

 _Aid them, as they aided us._


	2. Chapter 2

It took a week for the expedition to be put together. A lot had to be done first.

While only six people were going, Zelda wanted to be prepared for any issues. That meant supplies and weapons had to be gathered, paperwork had to be written to keep her projects going, and the standing forces of Hyrule's warriors had to be prepared.

As the Champions and their ruler worked to prepare their country for their departure, rumors filled the streets. After all, an expedition to a new country was exciting. Safe exciting, rather than the sort that had once filled Hyrule. Only the children couldn't remember a time when the sight of Hyrule Castle was always obscured by the massive shadow of Ganon, or when a simple trip outside of villages lead to death under the clubs of monsters.

Now, with Ganon gone, Hyrule could look forward to an expedition.

-

"Riju, are the Gerudo going to be ready in time?" Zelda asked as the pair walked through the halls of Hyrule castle. The Queen and Chieftain were followed by a pair of Hylian Knights and Gerudo Bladedancers as they walked briskly.

"The Gerudo are always prepared," Riju said haughtily. "During our expansion, we've managed to push back the monsters of the desert, so our supply lines will be strong. Buliara will also become Regent in my place. There is only one issue I can imagine."

The pair walked into the library to enter its main floor. Walking fast, Zelda took a stack of papers from one of her aides, hurriedly thanking him. "I know. Has there been any progress in speaking to the Yiga Clan?"

Riju smirked. "No. I assume they're still burning with revenge from when I had Link kill their leader. Combined with the fact Calamity Ganon, the very being they worship has been killed as well..."

That got a sigh from Zelda, but she also nodded. "I'll speak with Impa. She must know some way to convince them to join us. Or at the very least, stop them from trying to attack our supply lines and people... We've had enough death."

Riju's smirk shifted slightly at that. "I don't think we have. You let me borrow your people, and I could kill the clan. Hunt them down in their rat holes, turn them into a bad memory."

Zelda thought about that for a moment, sincerely considering the idea. As it was, the Yiga was their worst problem. While the monsters left in Ganon's wake were powerful, disgustingly so, they didn't have the cunning of the Yiga clan. The Clan had assassinated three of Zelda's chosen leaders of the towns she'd built in the ruins of the worlds, instigated guerrilla attacks on key supply caravans, and murdered dozens of people from all races. Luckily, they hadn't attacked with a truly large force since failing the first time.

When they had attempted to attack Zora's Domain, rushing through the mountains and rivers, as a force of hundreds of foot soldiers, archers, and blademasters, they had been spotted on the way.

Link, Teba, and Sidon, the fastest individuals in Hyrule, intercepted the assault with a force of Zora warriors, and fought for hours before driving the attackers off. In the aftermath, Zelda had been shocked at the sight of dozens of Zora and Yiga bodies left across the ground, of craters left by explosions, and weapons scattered across the land. Since then, they had stuck to smaller assaults, but they were still a massive issue.

"I'll begin drawing up a proposal," Zelda said slowly, leading Riju out of the library. "I don't want to initiate this..." She struggled to find something to call it that wasn't 'ethnic cleansing'. "War without trying every avenue for peace we can. But if the Yiga can't coexist with us, then we'll fight them. No killing their innocents of course."

The Gerudo Chieftain nodded, and Zelda nodded back. Just then, the small group stepped into a room, and Zelda looked over at one of her guards. "Tell that to your people. We will only attack if you leave us no choice."

The guard froze. In a flurry of movement, he reached for his sword. His silver armor faded in a flash, becoming a red bodysuit. The sword shifted to become a circular blade with spikes along the edge, a handle with a red tassel on one end. The guards face, once that of a Hylian man, shifted into the mask of Yiga Footsoldier. He swung the round blade, a Demon Carver, out at Zelda.

Zelda didn't move an inch when the other guard stepped into the Yiga Footsoldiers path. When the guard lashed out, his sword seemed to explode in size. In a brief second, a blade that could have reached a Gerudo's chin in height slammed into the Demon Carver, sending it flying from the Yiga Footsoldiers grasp. The guard capitalized on his enemies shock, lifting a foot to kick the other man in the rips with enough force that the snapping of bone could be heard.

"Impa," Zelda said sternly. "We need him to go back alive."

"Apologies," The guard shifted, much the same way the Yiga Footsoldier had. In a blink, the armored male Hylian had become a tall Shiekah woman. Her white hair was pulled back into a single braid that ran down her back, and red marking around her brown eyes stood against her skin. Her clothes were a dark blue, the symbol of the Shiekah emblazoned on her shoulder as she eyed the Yiga man, who wore the upside down version of the same symbol. "I'm afraid I don't know my own strength these days."

Zelda and Riju stepped alongside her. The Gerudo Guards joined them, all five woman looking at the man before them.

"I want you to leave," Zelda said, her voice strong and steady. "Tell your leaders that I do not seek war. Your people can have a home, and safety, not on the outskirts of Hyrule, but among us as full citizens. But if you want death..."

Zelda lifted a hand. As the Yiga Footsoldier watched, her fingers, then her palms, began to glow. Sunlight, coming from flesh, flowed into the air. The power that came from the Queen of Hyrule pressed against their skin with physical force. Zelda's eyes changed from green to a glowing light that burned.

"I can arrange that. I fought your master for one hundred years with no food, water, or rest. I have only become stronger since. Now go."

The Yiga footsoldier stared at her. After a moment, he flipped to his feet, apparently ignoring his broken ribs, and hobbled away.

Riju frowned as she watched the red-clad spy leave down a hallway. "Should have killed him."

"It wouldn't send the message we need," Impa said simply. "Don't worry. Several of my people will keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't kill or hurt anyone."

"In the meantime," the aura around Zelda faded. "We have a trip to organize. Impa, Riju."

"Yes, my queen," the group of women left the hallway in a calm group. Impa shifted once more, becoming a regular Hylian Knight.

"How are you feeling?" Zelda asked the knight.

"Much better," Impa said simply, her voice now that of a young man. "My sister says the medicine she gave me has finished it's work. However, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. It could be dangerous."

Zelda nodded at that.

-

Link had a different way of preparing for expeditions than most would have thought. He didn't do paperwork or collect weaponry. He didn't need to do the first, and he'd long since gained the perfect amount of the second. Instead, he went to the kitchens.

His usual armor replaced with a simple shirt and an apron, he worked over several cooking pots. An oven behind blazed merrily, deer meat he'd seasoned with herbs, Goron spices, and a bit of honey sending a heavenly smell into the air. The pan in his hand had a small helping of mushrooms cooking with butter, apples, and bananas. He swirled the pan, watching the food carefully, before putting it back over a flame and turning to his next dish.

"Still hard to believe," Sidon said quietly. He saw at a table inside the kitchens, watching as Link work with blistering speed and efficiency. The Zora prince raised a skewer with pieces of crab and fish on it and took a massive bite, his shark teeth slicing through the food.

Yunobo nodded, though he didn't respond. He chewed as he watched Link. When his mouth opened, one could see the bits of stone from the massive piece of grilled rock roast in front of him.

Sidon smiled before turning to look at his massive friend. "So, you all set?"

Yunobo swallowed the stones in his mouth before speaking. "Yeah. I spoke with Bludo, and he's all right with it," Yunobo smiled a little nervously. "But it's a little scary, right? The place we're going to might be really dangerous."

Sidon laughed. "Don't worry about that! We'll protect you! Besides, haven't you been training with Link and the Gerudo?"

Yunobo swallowed. "Well, yeah. But it's still scary though."

Just then, Link took out one of his ingredients. A feeling of pressure filled the room, like lightning suddenly striking nearby. The pair turned to see Link holding a scale. A massive scale, exuding electrical energy in pulses of power. Link looked at the pale white scale in his hands, as large as one of Yunobo's hands. His eyes narrowed.

Then he raised it high before slamming it over his knee, snapping the mythical object in half. He tossed one of the pieces into his pan of mushrooms, and the other he carried over to add to the deer meat.

"...Did you know he adds dragon scales to his recipes?" Sidon asked. He looked at his seafood skewer, trying to look deeper into the food he'd been giving

"Why would that be strange?" Yunobo asked, confused. The Goron took another bite into his rock roast, leaving Sidon to sigh in annoyance.

-

 _Three days later, underneath Hyrule Castle_

Zelda strapped on a backpack and looked over her small group. Sidon, Teba, Yunobo, Riju, and Link, all packed. Yunobu and Sidon carried the most massive packs, while Teba's was the smallest, as he needed to fly. The group carried their weapons, all of them gifts from Link. Zelda herself carried a simple rapier at her hip, and a bow Link had given her that used ancient sheikah technology.

The others carried the weapons of the previous Guardians. Yunobo had his ancestors massive Boulder Breaker in his right hand. Sidon wielded his sisters Lightscale Trident on his back. Riju had Urbosa's Scimitar of the Seven and Daybreaker Shield at her hips. Teba was restringing the Great Eagle Bow Revali had once used.

"Is everyone ready?" Zelda asked.

"Yes my queen," Sidon said with a cheeky grin. He pumped his fist. "Time to go!"

"Indeed," Teba said softly. He placed his bow on his back. "I am quite eager for this."

Link reached for his back and shifted the Master Sword and Hylian Shield on his back. Behind him stood a large Wolf. The animal was quietly watching everyone and gave Zelda a big dopey grin when he noticed her looking at him. Zelda sighed. The Wolf was one of many things Link had somehow gotten that Zelda couldn't explain. Like the dozens of pieces of armor and weapons that he had somehow obtained out of thin air, the Wolf was immensely powerful. She'd once seen the animal take a sword blow from a Gold Lynel, one of the most powerful beings in Hyrule, only to rise up and rush into battle again. A mystery she was still working on.

Zelda looked behind her, where a procession of Hylian, Gerudo, Rito, Zora, Goron, and Shiekah warriors stood around a shrine. The shrine was open, but unlike what Zelda was used to, this door did not open to an elevator. Instead, a blue light shone from what looked like a pool of water somehow turned vertical. It swirled and bubbled gently, drawing the attention of the whole room.

One of the Zora walked up to Zelda as she came closer to the shrine. He was an older Zora, covered in wrinkles that gave him a dignified look, if slightly grumpy. His skin was green, and his head was shaped like that of a stingray. He bowed to Zelda."My lady. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Muzu," Zelda said. "I'll be transferring leadership of Hyrule to you in my absence."

"Harumph," The old Zora grumbled. "Yes, let me simply rule a nation."

"You've done it before," Sidon said with a little grin. The two Zora shared a glance, then a smirk.

"Very well," Muzu stepped aside. "My lady, I will protect the kingdom as best as I am able. But please, do return," his smile faded. "We did not fare well... the last time we lost our Guardians."

With that chilling statement, he stepped away.

The group seemed to still at the thought before they all walked towards the shrine once more.

"Shall we?" Zelda asked as the group walked towards the shrine. She tried not to let Muzu's words bother her. But the thought was there, filling her with determination.

Link didn't speak. But he did smile.

And, with the people of Hyrule watching, the Queen of Hyrule and her Guardians left their home.

-

 _Westeros, the North Gate of Winterfell_

Eddard Stark crossed his arms as he eyed the building that had been on his mind for more than a week. Sat right next to the North Gate, it's door facing towards the Wall far in the distance. Several orange lines were spread across the strange structure, like a script from some ancient language. And over the door, in clear modern language, were a set of words that had plagued Eddard for weeks.

 _Aid them, as they aided us._

He sighed. The men of Winterfell had cleared out the snow around the structure, but none would go near it anyway. Rumor of its appearance and origin flitted around the castle and the towns of the North. Some thought it was a gift of the Old Gods. Others, a warning. Possibly both.

All Eddard knew was that he didn't understand it. Other than some small bits of script Luwin had found confirming it wasn't a threat, that it had been put there by Bran Stark the First, he had no idea what to think of it.

As Eddard stood there with the guards he'd set to watching the structure, a massive figure came out of the North Gate. Standing well over seven feet, and built of corded muscles that his furred clothing could barely hide, the man looked over the area before seeing Eddard and walking over to him. Eddard smiled broadly as the man joined him.

"Hod-" The man coughed, swallowing. "Sorry. Something in my throat, Lord Stark."

Eddard patted the massive man on his back. "It's all right, Walder. I assume my Lady wished me to go back inside?"

Walder, once he'd cleared his throat, nodded, smirking. "Yes, Lord Stark. I believe she wanted to speak with you about Arya's behavior?"

The Lord of House Stark frowned. "Have you been telling Arya about Lyanna again?"

Walder had a bright shine in his eyes. "Only when she asks."  
"And teaching her how to use a sword?"  
"Only when she asks."

The two men stood there for a moment longer.

"Ned," Walder said softly. "What are you looking for? Why do you come here to stare at this building?"

"...Aid them, as they aided us. Those words..." Eddard Stark shook his head. "Luwin tells me that this was _supposed_ to be here. That the North Gate was built to support it. And I never knew. Maybe my father, or Brandon did. But both were... murdered, before they could tell me," he sighed. "Bran Stark built Winterfell. For some reason, he added this structure. Who are we supposed to aid, Walder? What did they do for my family that was so important that now, thousands of years later, I'm supposed to repay them for? Why did this structure appear now?"

Walder smiled. "Well, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to answer any of those. Let alone how you are. As you said, your father was killed, and any answers he may have had about this left with him. It was why I joined you in battle," His smile became a bit rueful. "Though Old Nan still won't forgive me for it."

Ned smile at his old friend. "Is that so, _Ser_ Walder?"

Walder chuckled a bit at that.

At that moment, the structures orange glow suddenly changed. The two looked over at it. As they watched, it's glowing lights slowly changed color. From orange to blue. A small lump of snow and earth rose before the structure. Ned and the guards reached for their swords, wary as the lump slowly became an odd object. Like a small round table, with lights blinking across it. A symbol in the center seemed to be the brightest section, shaped like an eye.

When the 'table' stopped rising, it was at waist height. Ned eyed the glowing table, then looked at the structure. All was still. Then the 'doorway' of the structure suddenly became a bright glowing pool of water. The group unsheathed their swords. Ned held Ice, his Valyrian greatsword, in his arms, held at the ready. Walder calmly took out his own sword, an incredibly massive blade made for his enormous strength and size, and the two took position side by side.

The doorway unleashed a spout of the strange substance within it. The group backed off in fear, watching as it pulled back into itself before settling into a pool of water again. It rippled in one spot before a figure appeared.

They couldn't have been more shocked when a young woman with blonde hair stepped out of the pool of water. She was shivering, rubbing her arms.

"C-C-Cold!" When she looked up, Eddard found himself staring. She was beautiful, yes, with piercing green eyes, a lithe frame, and pretty features. But the reason he was staring was her ears. Long, pointed ears. She wore a pair of pants(!) and a blue shirt with white patterns across it. She stared at the group of armed men as she continued to rub her arms.

Another figure appeared in a ripple of water. As Eddard watched, a young man stepped out of the strange doorway. He was dressed in a blue shirt, brown pants, and a black cloak with a hood at his shoulders. More important, was the sword and shield at his back. When he noticed the group, the sword and shield shifted into his hands with practiced speed. The sword glowed with an eerie blue light, and Ice shivered in Eddard's hands. The young man stared at them with narrowed eyes, panning across them. Eddard locked eyes with the blonde young man, and the two held the stare.

Another woman came out of the pool. She was dressed more scandalously than any woman Eddard had ever seen in his life, almost nude, with only a sort of top that showed all of her shoulders, the top of her cleavage, and a very muscular abdomen. She wore a pair of heeled shoes that bared most of her feet while elevating her stature, and a blue skirt that allowed the rest of her legs to be revealed. Her hair was a fiery red, skin a dark brown. Her nose was pointed, almost bird-like. When she came out and noticed the men, a sword and shield went from her hips to her hands.

Three more people came through the doorway. And by far the most shocking ones.

One was a bird that stood like a man. He had white feathers and carried a bow on his back. Like the others, he wore a blue piece of cloth, this one across his chest. Like the young man and scantily clad woman, his weapon went to his hand, three arrows set in his bowstring as literally hawk-like eyes glared at them.

Another looked like a massive red fish, standing even taller than Walder by at least a couple of feet. His head was shaped like one of the massive predators Eddard had once seen on one of his few trips to the sea, a shark. When the tall creature saw the people surrounding him with swords, he reacted with a smile that, despite being filled with massive and sharp teeth, was somehow extremely friendly. He waved, surprising Eddard.

The final being was by far one of the largest things Eddard had ever seen. It was like a mountain come to life, a brown skin being of bulging muscle, with a white sprout of hair on his head, and bright blue eyes. Truly an intimidating creature. At least until it saw the people around him. Then it let out a squeak of fear, stumbling slightly.

The two groups stared at each other. When one of his men stepped forward, the blonde young man did as well.

"Hold!" Eddard and the blonde girl barked out in unison. They gave each other confused glances before the girl stepped forward.

"Please," she said desperately. "We are not here to harm you. I only wish to speak. We need your aid!"

Eddard froze. His eyes flickered above her. The doorway suddenly disappeared, leaving the circle as it once was. With the words that had plagued him for days right above it. _Aid them_.

"My name is Zelda," the girl said, pressing a hand to her heart. "I am the Queen of Hyrule. Please, I-"

Eddard held up a hand. She stopped. Eddard gestured to his men. Still fearful, they nonetheless obeyed, stepping back as he walked up to her. Walder stood alongside him when he stopped in front of the girl. Eddard looked over at the young man just behind her. His sword glowed with an unearthly blue light. Ice seemed to hum in Eddard's hand as the blades came closer to each other, and from the look of confusion in the young man's eyes, he felt the same.

"Queen, you say?" Eddard frowned. With a bit of hesitation, he bowed. "My lady. I do not know if you truly are royalty, but I will treat you as such. Please, come to my study," He looked over the group of oddities. "I believe we have much to discuss."

"That's putting it lightly," Walder said softly.


	3. Chapter 3

Moments later, Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, sat across a desk from Queen Zelda of Hyrule. For the first time in millennia, a human and a Hylian sat in the same room. A servant came in, holding a plate that held pieces of brown bread and a bowl of salt. Zelda looked at the plate curiously before she brightened. "Oh! Is this a ceremony of some sort?"

Eddard smiled at the enthusiasm in the young woman's face. While he wasn't a man to smile often, there was something about her curiosity that reminded him of Sansa and Arya when they were excited about something.

"Yes, Your Grace. This is part of guest rights. You do not have this tradition among your people?" When Zelda shook her head, he leaned forward. "Among our people, in all our religions, this is one of our most ancient and sacred traditions. When a guest eats food and drinks under the roof of a host, guest right is invoked. From that point on, guest and host may not hurt one another for as long as the guest stays, or they will be cursed by all the gods and goddesses, old and new."

"How fascinating," Zelda murmured softly, watching as Eddard took a piece of bread and dipped it into the salt, before doing so herself. They each ate the food before drinking the water provided to them by a servant, who left. For a brief moment, a gust of wind blew in the room, the fireplace's flames fluttering. Eddard could have sworn Zelda's eyes flashed yellow for a moment but dismissed it as a mere trick of the light when he looked closer.

Eddard looked around from his seat behind his desk.

Zelda was in front of Eddard's desk, sitting on a chair with her back straight. Just behind Zelda stood Link. The warrior had his hands at his sides, palms open. An untrained man would have thought this a sign that he was relaxed.

Eddard noted that an open and relaxed palm was more ready to grab a weapon. And what a weapon. The Lord of Winterfell looked over at the sword on his back. Even in the sheath, it was clearly a fine sword. But unsheathed... had it truly glowed?

Just behind Eddard stood Walder. The Giant of the North nodded at Link once Zelda and Eddard finished eating. Together, the Giant and the Hylian stepped forward to take bread as well. It was unnecessary, as Zelda and Eddard were more than enough to seal the traditional gesture, but Eddard appreciated it.

Once done, Eddard sighed softly. "Your Grace, I must admit, I have many questions about you and your people. You seem... peculiar to us, to say the least."

"I see..." Zelda frowned, locking eyes with Eddard. "I suppose that makes sense. According to the records I found, our people have not interacted for eight thousand years."

Eddard cocked his head, intrigued. "Eight thousand? That would have been during the age of Bran the Builder, the ancestor of my people."

"The Builder?" Zelda leaned forward, excited. "That is the name given to the man who helped us! He built Hyrule Castle, one of the largest structures in my land!"

"Truly," Now Eddard was truly interested. While he wasn't one to spend all his time with idle reading simply as a matter of his duties and responsibilities needing tending to, he still took time to read up on his more famous ancestors. As someone placed in a role of leadership he hadn't been ready for, Eddard often looked to the actions of past leaders of the Stark family for guidance when he'd started out.

"Brandon Stark was the first Stark, one of those we call the First Men," Eddard explained. "He was famous for constructing incredible structures. Indeed, this very castle still has some portions that were created by him, though much was destroyed in the last millennia."

"Indeed," Zelda nodding vigorously. "Well, in my country, I found several records mentioning him, as well as the shrine that connects to the one we came from."

"Forgive me, Your Grace," Walder said, drawing the rooms attention. "You mean to say that the structure you came from, this 'shrine' contains your land?"

"Oh, no!" Zelda replied. "No, it is more of a doorway, in a sense. A point where one can travel thousands of miles between continents in a single step."

Eddard and Walder both looked at each other, shocked. "That is... powerful magic indeed, Your Grace." Eddard finally said.

"Technology, actually," Zelda said with a sigh. "Much like the way a blacksmith can create a sword from a bar of steel, so too could the people who created the Shrines could make such doorways."

"So you weren't the one who created the shrine?" Walder asked, the Giant uncrossing his arms.

"No," Zelda seemed frustrated. "In many ways, my people are scavengers. We have made some of our own advancements, but the strongest weapons and tools we have belonged to the ancient Shiekah people." She looked over at Link. The young man reached for his hip, at the strange rectangular object hanging there. He lifted it from the hook on his hip, and the object came alight. In a blur of motion, an object came into existence into Link's hand.

Eddard stared at the object Link now held. It seemed to be some sort of club, made from a material he'd never seen before. It glowed with the same orange as the shrine had, lights on a brown surface. Then Link flicked something on the hilt.

A blade of blue light snapped into existence on the stick, turning it into a single-edged sword. Link turned the wondrous weapon around and gently held the handle out to the stunned Walder. Walder, after hesitation, took the weapon in hand, staring in awe at the blue blade that glowed with powerful light.

"That is one of the few Sheikah weapons we can currently make," Zelda said. "And the tool Link holds, the Sheikah Slate, is another object of the people who made the shrines."

"...Your Grace," Eddard said once he'd gotten over his shock. "I must ask you. Why are you here? Why show us these things?"

"I wish to trade," Zelda said calmly. "My people need aid, Lord Stark. Mine, and the people of those I have brought with me. For one hundred years, we were under attack by a monstrous creature named Calamity Ganon. He and his monsters ravaged Hylia for a full century, before Link, with the help of myself and several others, managed to defeat him. Now, we are rebuilding, and we could use some allies."

Link held a hand out. Walder carefully handed back the short sword. Link, making sure Eddard and Walder were watching, flicked a lever on the weapons handle several times, making sure they could see the blade disappear and reappear, before making it disappear one last time. Then he passed it to Zelda, who gently placed the weapon on the table. "I offer you this, an Ancient Short Sword, as a token to prove we come in good faith. Please, Lord Stark. Will you listen to our pleas?"

Eddard looked into the eyes of Zelda. Then he looked at Link.

The two warriors held that gaze for a moment. Then, with a nod, Eddard, with his eyes flickering to the sword on his desk, listened as Zelda and Link told him the story of Hyrule.

Of the threat of Calamity Ganon, and how he had beaten them through trickery, turning their own weapons against them. Zelda explained how Link had to be healed after the battle, only returning a century later after a healing sleep. Link, oddly enough, didn't speak too much. And yet, in many ways, he was talkative. The young man was expressive, somehow saying things with nothing but simple face movements and body language when he didn't have to resort to speech, which wasn't often.

They spoke of their heroes, both the spiritual ones and the physical. Sidon and Mipha. Urbosa and Riju. Teba and Revali. Daruk and Yunobu. People of the races of Zelda's home, fighting to protect it and sacrificing themselves if need be.

In many ways, the story was unbelievable. The things they described were impossible, in many ways, for Eddard to comprehend. From this monster, Calamity Ganon, to the massive constructs called Divine Beasts. Still, he could at least understand the tale. In many ways, it was a familiar one. Eddard found himself looking at Link throughout the story. If even half was true, Link was a hero equal to any in Westeros' history. Quite an accomplishment for such a small person.

Once they had finished their tale, ending with their current issues with rebuilding. Eddard sat back in his chair, resting a hand on his chin as he gazed upon the pair before him.

"I am not sure of how I should proceed," Eddard admitted quietly.

"I cannot blame you, Lord Stark," Walder was standing by the fire, warming his hands with a thoughtful look on his face. "At first, I believed you to be Children of the Forest, like the ones from Old Nan's stories," Link shifted slightly. "In many ways, this is just as interesting."

"And you say you need help?" Eddard asked.

"Yes," Zelda nodded. "In short, we just need numbers. My people are doing their best, but our population has dropped severely in the years since the Calamity. Even together, we need people to fight, to build, and to aid."

Eddard rubbed his chin at that. "I have no issues with aiding you in my own way, but I will not risk sending my people to another land without a strong incentive."

He felt a little bit of guilt, saying that. But no matter the words above the shrine, he still had to care for his people.

"We can trade!" Zelda brightened, nodding towards Link. "While our numbers are small, we have amassed a wealth of food, weapons, and tools." Link stepped forward, holding his... what was it called, the 'Shiki Plate'? He tapped at its surface, and in a moment, he was holding five objects. Two large spiky fruits of some sort. But, far more interesting...

"Diamonds," Walder stepped forward, watching the enormous jewels Link placed on the table. The blonde young man smiled cheekily at the look on Walder's face. The Giant, noticing his smile, returned it with a helpless shrug, knowing how eager he'd looked.

Eddard picked up one of the massive chunks of diamond as Zelda spoke.

"We can also offer a portion of land in Hyrule, whichever one you find is to your liking, as long as it is uninhabited. As long as you can help us in even a small way, I promise we can repay you."

The Lord of Winterfell held a diamond as large as the palm of his hand up. While Eddard was not a man given to obsession with wealth, he had to admit the jewel was beautiful. And he knew many men in the North would be excited to join this endeavor, not just for the chance of adventure, but for the chance to make some extra coin for their families. And, in the end, a new source of food was always an asset when the threat of winter lied in the distance.

With a nod, Eddard leaned forward. "Very well your grace. But first, I believe I must see this land of yours."

Eddard gathered everyone into the Great Hall of Winter to introduce them to his family. A ceremony to let the people of the castle, and therefore the North, see that Eddard was, at the very least, willing to accept the newcomers to his castle. Something Link could understand.

Sitting in his chair at the head of the room, Eddard had his family beside him, the females on the left, the males on the right. Link looked around the room, noting the guards gathered. He took a moment to note the unusually short ears they had, something apparently shared by all humans. While the room was mostly empty, many of House Starks soldiers stood in the room, watching the proceeding. Walder stood nearby Lord Stark, in the same spot Link often took when Zelda held court.

"Queen Zelda, allow me to introduce my wife, Catelyn Stark," An older, but still beautiful woman, wearing a fur cloak on her back, and simple white dress on her body, both of excellent quality. She had long red hair that flowed across her back and bright blue eyes. Those eyes, as much as she tried to hide it, revealed the fear she held back from her face. Sidon, Yunobo, and Teba, all filled her with worry. She also seemed to flicker her eyes towards Riju, particularly the naked sections of her form. In fact, Riju's clothing choices seemed to draw as much attention as the others did, with more than a few men staring at Riju.

Link shifted the Master Sword and focused on Eddard speaking. "My daughters, Sansa, and Arya."

Sansa was almost a copy of Catelyn. She was just coming into adulthood, a beautiful young girl. She seemed fascinated with Zelda, almost staring at Link's Queen with a sort of awe. Arya looked a lot more like her father, with the black hair. She was a rail-thin girl, with a fierce look to her, with a spot of mud on her cheek. Link would have mistaken her for a boy on first look if it wasn't for the lack of an Adam's apple. She was staring at the rapier at Zelda's hip and the sword and shield on Riju's in a way that Link had to smile at. He was sure he'd had a similar look on his own face at different points of his life.

"And my sons," Eddard pointed each one in turn. "Robert, Brandon, and Rickon."

Robert was a red-haired young man, just like Sansa and his younger brothers. He was young, and seemed to be looking over the group with an unimpressed gaze, clearly trying to emulate his father's stoic demeanor. Still, Link couldn't help but notice the young man was, despite his best efforts, still staring. An admirable attempt however, proof of Robb's training.

Brandon was apparently named after his ancestor. The boy was looking at the group with fascination in his eyes, curiosity in his eyes. Rickon, being the youngest, seemed fascinated with Yunobu.

"It is wonderful to meet you all," Zelda bowed serenely. "I am Queen Zelda of Hyrule, and of the Hylian people. This is Link, the Champion of all Hyrule," Link nodded, smiling brightly. "Sidon, the Prince of the Zora," Sidon raised a fist and grinned, the light bouncing off his fangs. Sansa blinked when she met Sidon's gaze, blushing slightly before looking very confused. "Riju, the Chieftain of the Gerudo," Riju smirked slightly, making sure to meet the gaze of every man staring at her. "Yunobu of the Goron people," Yunobo gulped, standing straight as the room stared at him. The fact this made him appear even larger only made his nervousness more at odds with his intimidating stature. "And Teba, of the Rito," Teba was by far the most stoic individual of the Hyrulians. His sharp eyes gazed around the room, and his feathers rustled slowly as he breathed.

"Welcome," Eddard said. "Now, I have had the servants prepare some rooms for you all in the Guest House, but I understand that there may be certain needs we are not prepared for. If so, please let them know, and we will try to accommodate you. In the meantime, I would like us to meet with my maester, Luwin, to negotiate our trade deal."

"Maester?" Zelda asked curiously.

"Yes, a scholar trained in many disciplines," Eddard explained. Link smiled at the excitement that gleamed in Zelda's eyes at this explanation. "In the meantime, you are all allowed to stay in your rooms, or go out into the public areas of the castle. I have assigned an escort, and Walder has volunteered to show you around." Walder nodded at the last.

"Thank you once more, Lord Stark," Zelda said brightly.

After being introduced to the family, Walder led the group outside as Zelda went to join Eddard and Luwin. Link went with Zelda, leaving the others to take the tour of the castle. With Zelda and Link gone, Riju took command of the group, and they all followed Walder. The first place he took them too was the Smithy, which was right across from the Great Hall.

"Wow," Yunobu said as he watched the blacksmith work. "You guys work metal the same way as Goron's do!"

Mikken, an older man with long hair that was going bald on the top and a beard typical of Northern men, looked over at Yunobo, leaving the slab of steel he had been shaping to continue to heat in the forge. While he still seemed unnerved at the sight of the group Walder had brought over, the prospect of learning another races own blacksmithing techniques seemed to intrigue him. "Truly?"

Yunobo nodded. "Yes! Rohan, the blacksmith in my home, he uses the heat of the lava he gets from the volcano to heat steel. He has to be careful because he says that too much heat would make the steel useless," Yunobu seemed to lose a bit of his newfound enthusiasm. "And then he yells at me. He's so grumpy."

Mikken didn't seem to know how to take the massive being that now seemed so crestfallen. "Well... that is quite the story," he said with a cough, giving Walder an incredulous look. "In truth, I have more issues with making the fire hot enough. I've never heard of someone using the heat of a volcano to aid in such a process. Is his workshop nearby the mountain?"

Riju chuckled, drawing Mikken's attention. She was sitting on a railing nearby, watching the Goron and blacksmith talk, while Sidon and Teba stood outside the smithy. The old man couldn't help but lower his eyes briefly, taking in her form, which Riju only smirked at. "I don't think you understand. Yunobu's people, the Goron, are renowned as godlike blacksmiths almost entirely because of their natural advantage. A Goron is not just made of stone, but they're almost invulnerable to heat. Yunobo's city lies in the heart of a volcano, with rivers of magma running through it."

Mikken blinked twice at that. Once again, he looked as though he was completely out of his depth.

"Oh," Yunobo suddenly had a thought. "If you like, I can make you the same way!" With some of his enthusiasm returning, he reached into a pouch at his side. With a careful movement, he took out a glass bottle filled with a black liquid that bubbled ominously. "Here!"

He handed it to Mikken, who looked at it with the uncomfortableness of a man handed Wildfire. "W-What is this?"

"Fireproof elixir," Riju said from her perch. "It lets people like you and I survive extreme heat. It doesn't actually make us fireproof, but you won't be harmed by any sort of heat for a little bit."

"30 minutes!" Yunobo said cheerily. "Link made these! I carried them in case the others needed them in this land."

Mikken looked at the bottle in his hand with a new light in his eyes. Walder stepped forward and took it from him. "Maybe we should have Luwin look at it first. We have no idea if it's dangerous to humans, after all."

Mikken and Yunobu seemed to share similar dismay at this. Riju smirked, though there was a contemplative look in her eyes.

"Come along," Walder said with a smile. "Let us visit the courtyard, shall we?"

Sidon and Teba seemed to be relieved to hear this. Yunobu waved at Mikken, before following the others. As they walked, Riju walked ahead of them. With a small hand gesture Link had taught them, the others slowed down, allowing her to walk next to Walder. Compared to the massive human, she looked positively tiny. Even other Gerudo would have been shocked at Walder's size since not many could look an adult Gerudo woman in the eyes.

"So... I assume you will be testing that for poison?" Riju asked as they walked.

Walder cocked an eyebrow. "Only for security reasons, I assure you."

"Hm... and the archers and guards keeping an eye on us?"

Walder didn't look at the men placed around them. "As I said, security reasons. Lord Eddard is a good man, but he will not risk his people simply because you drop a magic sword and diamonds on his lap," Walder looked down at her. "You are a chieftain, yes? I'm sure your people are just as careful when unknown individuals appear. And, considering the power you all have claimed to hold, keeping an eye on you all is only smart."

Riju cocked her head at that. "I supposed I can understand," she flicked her head back, letting her long hair flow through the air for a moment.

"However, I will say Eddard is at least willing to listen. For now. If you prove to be truthful, we will negotiate. But if you should prove to be enemies... Well. The North will meet you."

She laughed. "Oh, I like that. Walder, I think I like you. I may take you as a husband if you impress me enough," Riju grinned at the little stumble Walder took at that statement.

Together, the group stepped over the courtyard to watch the men train.

Jon Snow watched the approaching group, trying not to stare while also taking in every detail. In all his life, he had never seen anything so strange. A fishman, a birdman, a giant, and a half-naked woman carrying a sword and shield. They were fascinating. Everything from the way they walked, the way they talked, and even their weapons. Jon had rarely seen a woman carry a weapon who wasn't a Mormont after all.

"What do you think?" Robb asked. Jon looked over at his half-brother. Robb was holding a training blade, twirling it slightly as he watched the group of... Hylians, was it? Or Hyrulians?

"They seem like something out of myth," Jon said after a quiet moment.

Robb nodded. "Like something from Old Nan's stories. I could never imagine anything like them."

"Yes, yes, we're all impressed," Theon Greyjoy drew their attention with his usual attitude, a cocky smile on his face. "It's that girl there that interests me the most," he nodded towards Riju. While the other men seemed more scandalized than anything, Theon leered at her. "I think I'll have to ask her for a night or two."

Jon didn't reply to that. Theon, as an Ironborn, tended to say such things often. As a consequence, few in the castle could stand the young man other than Robb.

Still, Jon had no idea what to think of all this. People of magic from another world? And such strange ones? What was he supposed to think of it?

Then, without a hint of ceremony at all, Walder drew his sword. And so did the short brown skinned woman.

Together, under the eyes of the men, they stepped into the center of the courtyard, and began to circle each other.

As he was walking with Luwin, Zelda, and Link through the doors of the Gr, a voice drew Eddard Stark's attention.

"Ned," Eddard turned, blinking at the sight of Catelyn.

"Cat," he said softly. She looked apprehensively at Zelda and Link. Understanding, he looked over at Luwin. "Please, take them to... I believe the library may be the best location," Eddard said, thinking on it. "If you don't mind, Your Grace."

"No, of course," Zelda smiled at Catelyn, who returned it stiffly.

Once they'd left, Cat seemed to breath easier. She brushed a hand across her dress. "Ned, are you sure we should be letting those people roam the castle grounds? We know nothing about them."

Eddard sighed. "I know. But they have offered many things that could be of great aid to the North. If they are lying, then it is a lie that would very easy to prove. At the least, we know they are capable of many wondrous things." Eddard reached for his back and took the object now holstered between his shoulder blades into his hands. With a small movement, he unleashed the blade of the ancient short sword, allowing it's brilliance into the world.

Caitlin gasped in shock as the shining blade appeared. "Gods..."

"They gifted it to me," Eddard held the sword up, amazed at its lightness. "I don't believe I'll simply take them at their word. But this is proof they are at least worth listening to."

Caitlyn nodded, still staring in awe at the sword. "Yes... be careful Ned."

Eddard switched blade off, then reached out to hug his wife, holding her close. "I will my love."

As they hugged, neither noticed the small figure disappearing down a corridor from where they embraced.

Arya Stark couldn't help her excitement over everything was happening. People from a magical world, a female queen carrying a sword, magical monsters, and father holding a magical sword!

Arya ran through the halls to reach her next destination, ducking around a guard as she headed for the courtyard. As she burst inside, more excitement filled her. The brown-skinned woman with the long nose was going to fight Walder!

As she slipped into the crowd, she barely noticed that she was standing next to a massive being, trying to see past the people milling around the courtyard. When a hand poked her shoulder, she looked up in surprise.

"Hello!" Sidon said with a cheery grin. Arya blinked, staring at the shiny shark teeth that seemed to gleam. "You having trouble watching?"

Trying not to seem intimidated, Arya hesitantly nodded. Sidon tapped the shoulder of someone next to Arya, and she turned to look at them.

Yunobu, the giant being Arya had noticed earlier, gave Arya a smile. "Would you like to look?"

When Arya hesitantly nodded Yunobu, as gently as possible, took her into his arms. Before Arya could protest, she was on his right shoulder, with a clear view of the fight that was about to begin. As she stared from the shoulder of a giant, Arya could only grin at the way her day was going.


	4. Chapter 4

In the Library Tower of Winterfell, Maester Luwin stared at a device in his hand, shocked to near-catatonia at it. He flipped from menu to menu clumsily, trying to understand what he was seeing. A map of unknown lands disappeared to be replaced with a journal, then again for a list of items. Hesitantly, he tapped something that looked like a green frog.

In a flash of blue light, a frog appeared in his hands.

For a second, Luwin and the frog stared at each other, both blinking. Then Luwin realized what had happened.

"Gods!" Luwin scrambled back as the frog hopped up, rushing to make its escape. In his haste, Luwin tossed the Sheikah Slate into the air.

Link leaned down and grabbed the frog in midhop. As the slate fell, Zelda hastily snatched it out of the air. "Mister Luwin, are you okay?" she asked, worried.

"Ye-Yes," he said, staring at the frog in Links hands. "I just... it's _alive_."

Zelda nodded eagerly. "Yes! Incredible, isn't it? The slate is able to hold hundreds, even thousands of items, all of them as fresh as the day they were put inside!"

"How?" Luwin leaned over the device, working on it with Zelda. Both eagerly began to look it over. "How does it do that?"

"We don't know!" Zelda said excitedly. "But can you imagine what we could do once this technology was replicated? Transporting fresh food hundreds of miles without worrying about it getting spoiled-"

"Clothes and other goods fitting into a space smaller than a book!" Luwin said in agreement.

"And that isn't including the other functions! Look, it can take still images of the world!" Zelda snapped a photo of Luwin, who blinked at the bright flash that the action caused, before showing him the screen.

Luwin stared in shock at his own face, dozens of times clearer than even the cleanest mirror he'd ever seen, frozen in time. "Gods. The things this could do for research... This is amazing!"

Link blinked as Zelda and Luwin began to speak faster and faster, almost as though they were feeding each others excitement. He looked down at the frog he still held, the amphibian looking very miffed at having been caught, then sighed quietly to himself.

He loved Zelda, but there were days it was very boring being her guard.

He looked outside. He could feel it... the forest. Like the Deku tree but... Younger? Older? No. Aged differently.

Once Zelda was under guard by the others, he'd summon his spirit beast and go for a ride. Westeros had secrets, he could feel it.

Within him, old friends looked out towards the north.

-

In the courtyard, with dozens of people gathered round, Walder and Riju held up their drawn weapons. Walder, a massive sword made for his size, Riju, a small round shield and curved scimitar, a weapon few in the crowd surrounding them recognized. After a brief bow, the fight began.

And they began to circle each other. For a quiet moment, they walked around each other. Even from that, the differences between them were apparent. Riju, with her small size, seemed to be half following the steps to a dance as she circled, her feet gracefully pressing against the earth, her leg muscles twitching, arms moving. Her eyes never left Walder's as she circled, but she was otherwise always moving, keeping her shield at her side and her sword slowly slicing the air.

Walder, on the other hand, moved far more slowly. He only moved to keep facing Riju. But other than that, he was still as stone. He would take a step with the least amount of energy possible. His arms easily held his massive blade at the ready. If Riju was a dancer, he was a mountain.

A hush fell over the area.

Then Riju moved. Fast as lightning, she blazed into Walder in a leap of movement, slashing forward.

Walder didn't move until the exact moment she was inches from striking him. Then he twisted his sword to parry hers, trying to lock his sword with hers so he could his massive strength and size to his advantage.

Riju slid aside, escaping with a bright laugh as she flipped back. Walder didn't follow up, instead waiting again. Riju struck once more, slashing at his head. Walder blocked, and Riju, in an impressive moment of agility, jumped _onto_ the side of his blade, leaping over his head with a playful slice at his neck. Walder twisted his sword to block that blow, then twisted to try and hit her out of the air. She curled in the air, dodging the blow, then leaped the second she hit the ground, moving away from his footstomp. Walder stepped forward, swinging his sword.

They danced for a moment longer, Riju twisting and leaping about with such speed that Walder couldn't catch up. So he didn't. Instead, he waited. Patience in mid-combat, only moving to block, parry, and strike when he could. He wasn't still, not in the least, but his fighting style was clearly based on efficiency of movement. Not a great duelist like Eddard Stark or Jamie Lannister, a brutalizer like the Mountain in the South. Walder simply fought with the absolute necessary energy needed.

In a brief moment, when Riju had landed just slightly off-balance, he spun around to slash out at her. Riju raised her arm.

 _Clang!_

Sword smashed into shield. Riju twisted her Daybreaker shield up, sending his sword to the side. Walder reached out to grab her and got a lock of her hair for his trouble. Riju pulled back, losing some strands of red hair but nothing else.

Walder took a look at the hair in his hand.

"You can keep it if you like," Riju teased.

He seemed to think about that. Then he wrapped the strands around the hilt of his sword. Riju seemed surprised for just a moment. Then she smiled.

-

"I don't get it," Arya said from the sidelines, blinking.

The Stark Daughter had been following the fight pretty well up to that point, watching Riju dance around Walder. She was so fast! It was like she was everywhere, bouncing everywhere. And Walder was so strong! She'd never seen him really fight anyone other than father like that!

And then, for some reason, the two just stopped so Walder could wrap hair around his sword. All the adults seemed to think that meant something, from the way some were grinning while others were looking on in disapproval. Arya finally scoffed and brushed the question aside as meaningless, helped when Walder sped forward for the first to actually strike, Riju now using her shield.

"You really like this stuff, huh?" Yunobu asked her with a friendly smile.

Arya blinked, having somehow forgotten the giant being whose shoulder she was sitting on. She nodded without thinking, then flinched. While some, like Jon and Father, didn't seem to care about Arya's love of fighting, everyone else seemed to hate it. She didn't see why she shouldn't do what she liked but apparently she wasn't allowed to have _fun_.

Sidon barked out a laugh. "That's great! You ever get trained?"

For a moment, she stared at the shark man, surprised, then shook her head. "I tried. Mum won't let me though."

"Traditional sort, huh?" Sidon said wisely. "Well, let me know if you ever want to learn a thing or two. In secret, of course," Sidon said with a wink.

She couldn't help the grin on her face.

Teba sighed, the bird man shaking his head. "Sidon, we can't _do_ that."

"You can't," Sidon said, giving his fellow Champion a smirk.

"I absolutely can," Teba replied easily. "But we shouldn't. We are guests in this country. I symphathize, but we must respect their rules, not flaunt them within moments."

"But I want to fight!" Arya scowled.

The bird man looked at her, somehow very expressive despite his avian features. "I respect that, my lady. But for now, we cannot aid you. Not while we're negotiating with your father. It's disrespectful."

Sidon scowled. "Why do you hate fun, Teba? Did fun hurt you as a child?"

"A few times, when it broke my wings," Teba admitted. "I learned my lesson. Did you?"

Yunobu winced, looking between, then back at the ring, trying not to seem awkward. Arya, annoyed, decided to focus on the fight. And if she cheered a little too hard for Walder and Riju, that was her business.

-

Riju spun out of the way of a massive overhand chop from Walder. A silly grin sprouted on her face at the feel of the earth shaking when his sword slammed into the earth, kicking up dust and some frost. She kicked off the ground and sliced at his neck. In an incredibly smooth movement, Walder pulled his sword back just enough to block the blow with the pommel of his sword.

Walder grunted at the effort it took to pull off the maneuver, then kicked at Riju. She leaped up onto his leg and flipped backwards in the air, laughing gayly. Walder went to follow, not quite smiling.

"Walder!"

Both fighters stopped. Everyone in the crowd looked over at the commanding voice that had spoken. Eddard Stark stepped forward, the crowd parting in front of him. He nodded respectfully at Riju, who smirked. "Walder. Come with me. Lady Riju, your companions as well please. Queen Zelda is in the library, and we'll be meeting in the main hall."

Ignoring the groaning sounds as people collected/paid their bets, Walder nodded at his lord, carefully sheathing his sword. Riju sighed sadly, but put her own weapons away, nodding at her friends. Eddard looked in the same direction and blinked at the sight of Arya sitting on Yunobo's shoulder. The young girl waved hesitantly at her father, not noticing Yunobo awkwardly doing the same. Eddard blinked once more.

"Ah. Well, please join us," he walked over to where Arya was hurriedly getting down from Yunobo. As Eddard met his daughter, Riju turned to Walder.

"You're damn good," she smirked. "Slow. But very, very good."

"Thank you," Walder said respectfully, though his eyes still twinkled. "If other Hyrulians are half the warriors you are, then that is quite the compliment."

Riju chuckled as the pair walked away. "Well, most aren't. I mean, the Champions were chosen for a reason. Except Link."

"Oh?" Walder blinked. "He doesn't qualify?"

The desert warrior sighed. "No. He's over-qualified if anything. He founded us one hundred years ago, so he didn't get chosen so much as be there from the start."

One hundred years.

Walder thought about in silence as they walked to the main hall.

-

The group met inside the main hall. Eddard was joined by a small group of guards, with Walder's massive form on one side, Luwin on the other, and Caitlyn closest to him, his wife looking at those before her with a neutral look on her face.

Zelda stood with her own group behind her, Link the closest to her.

"Luwin has told me of a few of the things you've explained to us," Eddard said with little preamble. "And I can't help but feel trade with your people is only to our benefit. I must explain things to my own King first of course," for some reason, Eddard seemed a bit disquieted by the thought, though he hid it well. "In truth, the most valuable of your offers has been that... portal, you called it?" Zelda nodded. "For decades, one of the weakness of the North and it's people has been the lack of truly fertile soil and temperate weather year round. Our farmers are good, but they must contend with many trials to grow food for our people."

"I see," Zelda nodded slowly. "And our own population is small. We have good land, but we need men and women to work it, to defend it."

"Then that is our first trade," Eddard said calmly. "I'd like to see your land, and purchase a small plot of it. I have soldiers, good men who have offered to join me, and farmers willing to take the risks."

"There are no risks," Zelda promised, her hands clasping over her heart. "We will defend your people as you defend ours, I promise."

Eddard nodded, one equal to another. "I must still tell my king, of course."

"I don't mind," Zelda looked over at her friends. "We expected such things."

"Very good. I'll send a raven," Eddard, though still stoic, seemed to almost loosen up. "And we'll have a feast to celebrate then."

Everyone in the room seemed to have the same reaction. All across the world, food was the universal language of happiness after all.

Link stepped forward, his eyes glittering. Zelda looked at him, then sighed good naturedly. "Lord Stark. My knight has a request."

Eddard cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? What is it?"

"He wants to cook for us."

"A knight in the kitchens?" Caitlyn asked, sounding surprised.

"Oh, you want him in there," Sidon said with a bright shark smile. "Believe me, he's the best chef in our land."

Zelda gave Sidon a look, the shark man only shamelessly continuing to smile. Then she sighed. "Lord Stark, despite Sidon's impertinence, he is correct."

Eddard rubbed his beard. "Ah. Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt."

Link immediately turned and walked away.

"Um, young man," Luwin said confused. "The kitchens are-"

"Trust him," Riju stepped aside as Link passed. "He knows what he's doing."

The blue warrior didn't respond. He'd seen several stags in the forest earlier, and some familiar plants. Now, to find a cooking pot.


	5. Chapter 5

In truth, Link's method of cooking had changed vastly from when he'd been traveling the wilds of Hyrule, throwing things together as quickly as possible while still making them nutritious.

One that hadn't changed however was that Link was a hunter. Among the long, _long_ list of things that he could do of course. He tended to hunt for food when he could. He often didn't need to, considering the vast stores within the Sheikah Plate, but he needed to go _somewhere_.

Being trapped inside hadn't been a fun experience so far. He'd mostly stood and watched as Zelda spoke. Which, granted was his whole job, but he often felt it unnecessary. Not that Zelda was invincible, but she had the other Champions and enough magic to turn a room to ash at the least. He could stand to take a small break.

Walking past the guards around him, Link strode confidently towards the exit. He ignored the stares around him, keeping his face neutral.

He'd begun to notice the turn a while ago. The moment when awe turned to suspicion for some.

One guard was eyeing his ears with uncomfortable intensity, eyes trailing across Link's knife-shaped lobes. A woman saw him coming and quickly fled.

It wasn't much, but it was there. Some in Winterfell didn't seem happy with Link and the others appearing.

Link ignored that for now but made a note. Later, after making a series of dishes for the castle. Hopefully, he could make a dish good enough to turn around opinions on them?

...not likely. This was a simple case of the unfamiliar coming to play.

The knight left the castle and trekked for a bit longer. He shivered in the cold, but ignored it for the moment, simply striding into the woods until the castle was out of sight. Then he opened the Sheikah Plate and changed into one of his other sets of clothes.

Soon, he was dressed in the warm Snowquill clothes he'd bought from the Rito long ago and a pair of fur boots made to keep him on top of the snow. He sighed slightly at the feel of the feathers protecting him from the chill, then began walking.

He silently ran over the snow, his enhanced stamina allowing him to cover the distance with ease.

Westeros, or at least the section he was in, seemed nice. Cold enough to rival a lot of the Hebra region back home, but it had a rough, untamed look to it.

Link kept running when the sound of a wolf howl filled the air. He ignored it, recognizing the pitch and tone of the howl. Soon, the wolf came alongside him. The two continued running, only stopping to grab interesting plant life as they went.

Zelda asked him about the wolf sometimes. Link would tell her one day. For now, he appreciated the company.

Soon, he spotted a stag through the trees. The large deer hadn't noticed him, so Link slid to a stop behind a nearby tree. Wolf stopped as well, the arcane creature growling lowly as Link pulled his bow off his back. Link eyed the stag for a moment, tracking across its body. He lifted his bow. Pulling back, he breathed in deeply, then sighed out. In the moment between heartbeats, Link released.

The arrow slammed deep into the stag's side. The animal screeched in pain, turning on reflex to run.

Wolf sped forward, tackling the stag down. The powerful animal held the stag down as Link rushed over. Pulling out a small knife, he quickly finished the deer off.

It was the work of moments to begin skinning the deer. Kneeling there in the snow, he worked while Wolf watched silently. He tossed some meat to Wolf, who scarfed it down in between happy growls and little barks. He put away more into the Sheikah plate for the meal to come.

Seeing that there was a large amount of meat left over, Link frowned, then looked at Wolf. No need to waste the meat. And Wolf had a way of letting others of his kind hear about free food. Wolf nodded, raising his head. The howl that he released was cheery and loud, echoing through the forest for miles. He raised and lowered his pitch.

Another howl responded. Wolf modulated his tone. The howl that came back was closer.

Link wait calmly. He was ready to pull out his bow, sword, or shield if needed. Besides Wolf, he tended to have bad luck with predators. Wolf stopped howling soon, walking up to stand beside Link. The two waited.

She arrived moments later. Link almost wanted to reach for his bow when the massive direwolf stepped out of the woods. She was _huge,_ with nearly white fur, bright golden eyes, a mouth of thumb-sized fangs. Wolf was already pretty big, but this was insane, as large as a horse. She must have weighed as much as five of Link. She stared at Link and Wolf. Link stepped back, as did Wolf, who didn't seem intimidated or surprised. Apparently seeing this as a sign, the direwolf strode towards the dead deer, it's warm meat steaming the air around it.

Link and Wolf turned and left the direwolf to its meal.

They strode for a while before Link raised his hands to his lips without thinking and whistled. He winced. A while back he'd managed to get his hands of a type of horse armor made by the Sheikah that allowed him to summon a horse to his side. But he wasn't sure it would work here, considering how far he was from Hyrule.

Still, it didn't take to long before a stream of blue light came down from the sky. The light swirled into life, and Epona appeared with a loud whinny. Link smiled, stepped forward to rub her neck. She released another whinny of happiness, neighing in response to Wolf's friendly bark. Hopping onto her back, Link began the ride back to Winterfell.

-

When he neared the gates of Winterfell, the guards were staring at him. When he actually arrived, arrows were pointed at him.

Link calmly trotted up on Epona, stopping at the gates. One of the guards walked up to him, giving Link a suspicious look, then eyeing Wolf. In response, Wolf panted happily, tongue lolling out as he sat on his haunches, playing up the act.

"You didn't have those when you left," the guard said to Link without preamble. "No horse, no… direwolf. Where'd you get them?"

Link cocked his head to the side.

The guard scowled. "Answer me, boy. I won't let you in otherwise. You have more friends out in those woods?"

Link shook his head.

"Then where did you get the animals?" the guard asked angrily.

"Jawn!" Link and the guard looked up. Another guard, this one more 'seasoned' in appearance, strode up to them. "What are you doing?"

"Asking our… guest, some questions," the guard said.

The older man shook his head. "He's allowed in. Let him past."

"...Yes, sir."

Link didn't comment. He guided Epona in, Wolf following, and tried his best to look calm even as he tracked the arrows aimed at him and shrugged to prepared the familiar weight of his shield just in case.

It was tense until he was through the gates, and he still felt the stares once he was actually on castle grounds. He ignored them, guiding Epona to the stables and leaving her there with one of the stable boys, who seemed fascinated by the beautiful horse and her strange armor. It was actually rather heartening, to see the young man looking upon Link with awe and at Wolf with a combination of fear and excitement.

After that, Link walked towards the kitchens, taking his time and breathing deeply, the chill of the air carrying the scents of Winterfell to him. Wolf did the same.

On entering the kitchens, Link ignored the chef's and began to work. Apparently, they had been warned ahead of time, because they left him alone. That or they were terrified of Wolf, who went to a nearby oven and lied near it to go to sleep.

He took out the Sheikah plate and removed the necessary ingredients. The meat from the stag, the hardy plants he'd found surviving, some spices, salt, and honey from Hyrule...

"Huh," Link hummed to himself. Maybe he should make more than one dish. A feast required multiple dishes after all.

He took out some more ingredients, then asked the head chef if he could borrow some knives.

Soon he was chopping up vegetables, slicing meat, mixing sauces, and putting it all together. He hummed happily to himself all the while, ignoring the amazed looks of the chefs. Soon, they requested to join him, and Link agreed without thinking. When he took out dragon scales, they seemed to stop and stare in shock, only to relax when he shattered them to add to the dishes.

In moments, the group was working as one, making a feast to remember out of Westorian and Hyrulian ingredients.

-

When the time to eat came, Sidon was excited.

Granted, he was the first to admit that he tended to be excited about a lot of things (which, come on, life, in general, was damn exciting) but Link's cooking was always good for cheering up.

Walking through the halls of Winterfell alone was odd since he wasn't technically alone. Two guards followed him wherever he went. They weren't very friendly either. Still, Sidon could understand the reasoning. His own father was always surrounded by guards after all, Riju had her own Gerudo warriors in her hall. And Zelda, well, Zelda had Link around her most of the time.

Sidon grinned when he noticed Teba. Granted, with his white feathers he tended to stand out against the stone walls of Winterfell. "Teba! How've you been?"

The Rito warrior looked over at Sidon, his expression serious as always, then looked over at his own pair of guards. "Watched."

Sidon held onto his smile with some effort. "Well, we can't blame them."

"I absolutely can," Teba scowled at the two guards, then back at Sidon. "I don't like being followed. I don't like this castle. And I don't like _being_ here."

Sidon's smile was a real struggle now. "You can't blame them for wanting to keep an eye on us. As for the castle… you are a Rito."

Teba scowled further. "That's a stereotype. Just because I'm a Rito doesn't mean I _have_ to love open spaces."

"...so you always hang out on the roofs of Hyrule Castle by coincidence?" Sidon asked pointedly.

Teba sputtered. "T-That just-"

"It's fine," Sidon cut him off. "I feel the same way. All this ice around us is getting to me," he said with a sigh. "I'm not meant for cold weather."

The feathered man sighed and plucked the string on his bow. The four Winterfell guards watched them silently. "I suppose we all have some tension to get over," Teba admitted. He sighed. "I'm a villager, Sidon. Not a prince. I'm not meant for all this ambassador garbage, not even as a guard."

Sidon stiffened. Clearly, he wasn't, if he was admitting that. Any trained ambassador knew better than to admit inexperience in front of another courts guards. Granted, he was right. Teba was a champion, but of all of them, he and Yunobo had the least experience with politics. Bow in hand, flying on the breeze, Teba was unmatched. Less so in the setting they currently had to deal with.

"Well, at least we get to eat soon?" Sidon looked over at one of the guards. "You're going to love it! Link is the best chef in Hyrule."

"...I'll take your word for it, ser," the guard said hesitantly.

"Nah, you get to eat too," Sidon said, pretending not to notice the man's reaction. "Let's go!" Sidon pumped his fist and flashed a smile that lit up the hallway, then strode forward, his head high.

Within, he put together a report. Winterfell hadn't accepted them, seemingly stuck between awe and fear. But they would if he had anything to say about it.

-

That night, Eddard took a moment to be thankful that Queen Zelda had arrived with such a small procession of people. It made seating arrangements very simple. The room was prepared beforehand, with the direwolf Stark banners hanging alongside those of Hyrule, with the strange symbol of three triangles within a pair of wings. The fire was lit ahead of time, the drinks prepared, and the members of the castle were already sitting when Eddard arrived.

As was tradition, Eddard came in with Zelda on his arm. Queen Zelda had traded her blue blouse and gray trousers for a beautiful white dress and a golden crown. She held herself with regal dignity, seeming to exude her own light as Eddard guided her to the raised platform at the head of the Great Hall of Winterfell. He brought her to sit at his left side and pulled out her chair for her.

Since the young Queen was unmarried, Link took Caitlyn's arm. Caitlyn did her best to maintain minimal contact with the knight. If he hadn't known her so well, Eddard wouldn't have noticed. As it was, he hid a frown at the sight, keeping his thoughts to himself. If he judged correctly, Link noticed the cool attitude of the Lady Stark, but the knight only guided her gently to the seat to the right of Eddard, pulling her seat out for her. Caitlyn gave Link a false smile, then sat in the chair, relaxing slightly when Link moved to sit next to Zelda. Little Rickon came in, the three-year-old stopping to try and say hello to Jon sitting at one of the tables. Eddard's heart ached for a moment at Jon gently guiding Rickon to continue. Confused, the little one moved forward with all the dignity he could muster, smiling happily at his parents, then staring in fascination at Zelda and Link. All four smiled at him.

Robb was next, striding in with Sansa, Arya, and Bran. Sidon after, leading Riju, Yonubo, and Teba. Both groups sat across from each other, separated by a small amount of space. Theon came in after, sitting down with the Stark children as well.

Eddard watched silently as they sat, then gestured to the servants. Soon food was set out. As the head of the house, Eddard and those at the head table were given their food first.

After a brief moment to greet the Hyrulians, they began to eat. For a moment, everyone seemed to hesitate, waiting for Link, the one known to have made the food with the chefs, to take the first bite. Once Eddard took a bite as well, the others in the hall joined in.

And Eddard found himself in shock.

First, a dish of glazed deer meat, covered in honey and spices, giving it a hint of sweetness and spice that melded wonderfully and seemed to energize him to his core. Then there was one that, according to Link, was called a 'meat curry rice'. Meat covered in a thick and savory sauce, poured over rice, a dish that was unfamiliar to Winterfell and became quite the hit. Eddard was surprised to find that he emptied his pewter dish rather quickly, and reached for a fish dish next, something called a porgy that was covered in butter and a hint of lemon.

The rest of the room was as involved in the meal as Eddard was. Drinks flowed freely, and the meal was devoured with abandon. The combination of ingredients from both nations seemed to captivate those eating.

Right up until Eddard noticed that Yonubu was eating a massive hunk of stone shaped somewhat like a piece of meat and glowing red hot. The massive being chomped into the rock with ease, sighing with pleasure. Even Sidon with his sharp teeth and Teba with his beak weren't as unnerving to watch as a giant man devouring stone with ease. He drew quite a lot of attention, with Rickon, Arya, and Bran, in particular, looking fascinated.

And why did he feel so energized? Eddard took a bite of something else thoughtfully. He felt… stronger. Faster. He looked over at Link, who was devouring his meal happily.

"It's the food," Eddard looked at Queen Zelda. The young queen had taken a slice of fruitcake for herself and was eating it with real pleasure in her eyes. She looked up at Eddard. "Link has discovered many ways of releasing certain properties from the food of our land, as I may have told you. This food will enhance strength, speed, stamina. It's something he takes pride in, even more than his swordsmanship."

Link looked up at Eddard then. And Eddard realized that Zelda may not have understood Link quite as well as she seemed to. It was all right. On some level, Caitlyn was the same. Caitlyn knew him better than anyone. But she never understood his respect for the art of battle.

Link and Eddard met eyes. And for a moment, their swords shivered in their sheaths.

-  
 _Author's Note:_ You know, the problem with taking a break between chapters is that sometimes I might forget some plot thread without realizing it, or may have mentioned a character trait. Hopefully it's been consistent so far, but I'll be careful.

For now, Wolf and Link met a direwolf! And Eddard and Link are eyeing each other while Ice and Fi get ready.


	6. Chapter 6

Zelda stopped writing to look at Link for a moment, confused by his request. "You… want to duel Lord Eddard?"

Link nodded with a smile.

The day after the feast Link had cooked for, those in Winterfell had been quite taken with the meal. Which Zelda was glad for. First, because it went a long way to having a good relationship with those in Westeros. But also because Zelda wouldn't have been sure how to take it if any their hosts had hated Link's food except as some sort of sign of mass insanity.

The next morning, Zelda had gone to the library to take notes. She was currently planning for when they would go back to Hyrule, with hope there would be some sort of deal to be made afterward. Which they could use. While Hyrule had many advantages, the war against Ganon had lowered their numbers significantly. There just weren't enough people to protect against the monsters, take care of the farms, build the weapons, tools, or structures necessary to build society.

Westeros, on the other hand… Well, even the 'smallest' armies in this land Zelda had found herself could have ten thousand soldiers ready to fight. And that wasn't counting peasants that could be pulled in as conscripts, which… honestly went against Zelda's sensibilities. Pulling in innocent people to fight the battles of the nobles made a cold logical sense, but it didn't seem honorable. She'd decided to put that thought away to instead focus on what to form the agreement between herself and Eddard on.

Regardless, that was what Zelda had been doing when Link had spoken, surprising her.

She eyed him. Link was wearing his normal blue shirt, the Master Sword resting peacefully on his back as he sat peacefully across from her. He didn't say anything, simply letting his request hang in between them.

"Why ask me?" Zelda finally said. "I'm sure Lord Eddard would say yes to a simple spar if you ask nicely."

Link frowned. When he explained his reasoning, Zelda nodded.

Right. Link was her warrior, and they were attempting to make a treaty. Having her best soldier challenge the ruler of the castle to a duel without discussing it with her wasn't a good idea. Better to have her ask for a formal duel, instead of Link directly doing it and making it look like he was an unruly subject.

If Link did it, he was a brute asking for a brawl. If she requested it, it was an elegant duel between warriors. Or so Link was saying.

Honestly, she was half-convinced he was simply asking her to do it to make things awkward for her. She doubted Lord Eddard would mind, but Link had a strange habit of pushing to deal with people on her own as Queen, rather than using intermediaries. Almost as if he was making sure she was always center stage as the leader of her people. It was only a suspicion, but it was there.

Link's eyes seemed to glitter when Zelda finally nodded. "Very well, Link. I'll do it."

As soon as she said that, Link reached for the Sheikah slate. With a couple of taps and a bright flash of blue, a small slice of fruitcake appeared on the table, resting elegantly on a plate.

Zelda held down her excitement at the sight of her favorite dessert. "You should have started with that," she mumbled, pushing aside her notes.

Link grinned, not the least bit ashamed as he watched his Queen eat.

He was getting his duel. And that was what really mattered.

Ned sat down with Queen Zelda later in his office, Maester Luwin along with him. In truth, Ned had long since decided on exactly what he would offer to the young Queen. She had simply offered too much for him to dismiss her out of hand. Farmland. Something that, in the cold North, was worth more than ten thousand soldiers. Any general knew that supply was the most crucial aspect of battle, and having a portal to a land covered in food was too valuable to ignore. The fact she was also offering weapons, jewels, and armor, only sweetened the deal.

And there was the honor of the Starks to consider. His ancestor, Bran Stark the First, had made a promise. It didn't matter to Ned that he himself had no idea about that promise. It had been made. Honor demanded that he fulfill that promise. _Aid them._

Zelda held out a book full of her notes to Ned, who took them carefully.

"I have some land to the south of the castle that was known to be harassed by a Blue Hinox," she said, referencing the massive monsters that she had shown images to him of. Link had taken a, what had he called it. _Selfie?_ Well, an image of himself standing before the massive creature as it strode towards him. Link had been smiling while holding his hand up so it appeared he was holding the Hinox. Link was a truly odd young man…

"Will that creature be a problem?" Ned asked, looking over the map Zelda had, along with a description of the creature and its habits.

"Hinox can be tough opponents," Zelda placed her hands in her lap. "But they are not as aggressive as monsters such as Lynels, despite their incredible size and strength. I have several Guardians and cannons that I can set up to defend the area from it. I only need people to farm the land, cut down trees, those sorts of things. The land is beside a river, so we have excellent access to water, and it's quite fertile, with several apple trees growing nearby. It is also warm year-round, and-"

"We will have to see it first," Ned said, cutting her off. "But it does seem like a good area. I anticipate it will be quite a sight to see."

Zelda gave him a radiant smile, which Ned returned fondly. Then he looked over at Luwin, only to hold back a sigh. The old maester was in the corner with paper and pen, using the Sheikah plate almost fanatically. The man was enamored with the miraculous device, almost obsessed with it's use, and was constantly using to for his studies into Hyrule.

Then Ned looked back at Zelda. The queen was biting her lip nervously. "Queen Zelda? Is something the matter."

"No… just, Link would like to request something from you?" she said almost questioningly.

Oh? Ned looked over at the knight. The blonde young man only watched with a neutral expression on his face. "What would he like?"

"A duel," Zelda said, giving Link a look. "He wants to have a formal duel with you and thought it would be best if I asked on his behalf. To give it some sort of appearance of being a noble request, rather than his childish wish to see how good of a warrior you are," she said annoyed.

Link didn't seem offended. He only watched Ned.

The Lord Stark leaned back in his seat, thinking on that. Interesting. Not out of the realm of possibility either. All young warriors, even some old ones, wished to test themselves in combat against strong fighters. Well, except the Mountain. He didn't want a good fight. He simply wanted to kill for the sake of it.

Robert had been that way, happily crossing blade to hammer with his challengers. Jaime Lannister had been the same.

Ned held back a thought of disgust at the thought of the Kingslayer. Ned may have been ready to kill Aery's, but that was in honorable combat. What Jaime had done was nothing less than dishonorable.

Still, while others may have felt the constant urge to test their abilities in duels, Ned had never felt the need. He was a swordsman as a matter of necessity, not of pride. As for passion… the last time he had lifted his sword with any sort of wish to kill, he killed someone protecting Ned's own family. He hadn't felt such a thing since.

He couldn't help but be curious, however. Link was well respected by his allies. And Riju had proven strong enough to fight Walder, considered to be one of the best warriors in Westeros…

"I suppose a private match wouldn't be out of the question," Ned said. He stroked his beard. "What are the terms?"

Link laid them out. Clearly he had thought of this for a while, because he didn't hesitate. Once done, Ned nodded. "And you'd like to do this now?"

Link nodded.

"Queen Zelda, do you mind?" he asked her politely.

The young queen shook her head. "No, I do not. I only wish to ask when you would like to leave to Hyrule."

"Tomorrow," he said. When she seemed surprised, Ned rose from his seat. "I see no reason to wait when we could get our business done… Winter is coming, Queen Zelda. I'd like my people to have no worries for food when it comes."

She nodded, face firming. "I understand."

Ned looked over at Link. "Shall we?"

Link nodded. He walked up to Luwin and took the Sheikah slate from the older man, ignoring the look of surprise that the man gave him. Then, with a smile, he walked toward the window. Before anyone could say anything, he leaped out of it, his hand glider popping out as he soared towards the ground.

"...Link," Zelda said with a sigh, sounding very much like Catelyn did when Ned was letting the children do something she considered ridiculous.

"I believe I'll walk," Ned declared gravely.

Jon was in the courtyard with Robb and Theon, watching as Robb was being trained by Ser Rodrick in a small spar, the two trading blows while Theon talked Jon's ear off.

He wasn't sure _why_ Theon was talking to him. The Greyjoy was usually so dismissive with him, when he wasn't insulting.

Right now he was just being annoying.

"-he simply can't be a good warrior," Theon snarked. "He carries that sword and shield, and he spends his time 'guarding' the queen, but if he can cook like that? It's all for show. He's just some servant pretending to be a warrior."

Jon at last spoke, if just to try and stump him Theon and possibly quiet him. "And why can't he be a good cook _and_ a warrior?"

Theon gave Jon a scowl, as though offended that Jon had challenged him. "Because no one has enough time! I know that bastards tend to be slow, but you must have some sort of brains, otherwise you'd barely be able to wipe yer own arse!" Jon didn't even flinch at the insult. "The others, they're the warriors. That girl, the dusky arsed one, she's like the warrior whores you hear about in old stories. All flash, but put her against a real man, and she goes to her knees," Theon smirked. "Not that you'd know anything about that when you have yet to wet your cock." Jon held back a flash of annoyance at yet another slight. "And the bird, fish, and giant, they're the real threat. That _boy_ is just a glorified slave, meant to distract us. Him and the queen are probably the weakest of their land, only ruling due to numbers."

Theon spoke with the confidence of someone who knew everything life had to offer, a self-satisfied smile on his face.

For just a moment, Jon thought about that, ignoring the sound of Robb matching steel with Rodrick, the sound of metal clanging filling the air. Then Jon looked up. He took in the sight above him for a long moment. "Yes. He is very distracting."

Theon frowned while looking up in the direction Jon was staring up at. "What are you-" Theon stopped, staring as well. Up above, the _boy_ Theon had been speaking of was flying down towards the courtyard on a small piece of canvas attached to sticks. He glided down to the center of training yard, passing by Robb and Rodrick. Robb stopped to gape up at Link, only to get hit in the chest.

"Gah!" Robb shouted in pain, falling back on his back. Rodrick scoffed at him.

"Pay attention from now on, boy. Can't let fairies flying on the wind distract you."

Theon, Jon, and Robb stared at Rodrick. Apparently the old soldier had adjusted to the new visitors faster than most had.

While the courtyard was mostly empty, there were still a few others to watch as Link landed gracefully. Without missing a step, he put away the canvas and walked up to the side of the training yard, coincidentally next to Jon and Theon. He took the sword and shield off his back and placed them against the fence. Without a hint of shame, he took off his shirt. Despite his small stature, Link was rather well built, his body made of corded muscle. He took out a small square device that shone with an unearthly blue light. He tapped at the device with his index finger. In a flash of light, armor shimmered into existence while Link's blue shirt disappeared.

"How did you do that!?" Theon demanded in shock.

Link gave Theon an odd look, as if he hadn't realized he was there. He looked Theon up and down, then smiled before explaining. As he spoke, he put on the armor he had summoned with practiced ease. By the time he had finished, his armor was already on.

"Sheikah…" Theon frowned. "Is that even a real word?"

Link looked over at Jon. Jon didn't know what he found there, but the blonde smirked. Then he turned and ignored Theon. As he did, he lifted his sword and shield off the fence. Rather than putting it back on, he carefully removed the blade from the sheath. It glimmered in the light as he pulled it forth. He lifted the blade up until the flat was in front of his face, an almost worshipful look on his face. A blue shine was coming off the sword. Jon noted the strangely ornate crossguard that looked like blue wings being spread, the symbol of three triangles just above the yellow rainguard. The same symbol rested on his shield, which was blue in the center.

The Master Sword.

Jon met eyes with Link. The blonde had noted his gaze, and given him an answer.

"A bit presumptuous, don't you think?" Theon said sarcastically.

Link ignored him once again. Instead he looked towards the castle.

Jon felt him before he saw him. He always did. Maybe it was just Lord Stark's presence. Jon liked to think, in the privacy of his mind, that it was the connection they held as father and son. Either way, when he looked at the castle, Lord Eddard Stark was walking out in full armor.

Eddard was alone as he strode toward the training yard. He stepped inside as everyone watched.

Rodrick seemed to realize what the eight people in the small courtyard had. He nodded to Robb, who hurriedly rushed to the side, the old Master-Of-Arms unmoving as Eddard joined him.

"Ser. Are you sure about this?" Rodrick asked.

"If they wanted to assassinate me, they could have placed a… bomb, I believe they call it, underneath my room," Eddard said softly. "This will be a simple spar."

"Simple… is that why you've got Ice?" Rodrick pointed out.

Eddard smiled. Then he removed the sheath at his side, unsheathing Ice. The valyrian steel was dark and smokey in the light, almost. Eddard handed the sheath to Rodrick, who took it with a grumpy grumble.

Rodrick looked over at Link. "Want me to take yours too?"

Link held out the sheath silently, Rodrick taking it without a word. Then he stepped back.

Link frowned, then looked at his shield. He hesitated before removing the large shield, moving to place it on a nearby post before coming back to face Eddard, who didn't show any emotion. For some reason, Jon got the feeling that he was pleased, however. That he wanted this to be a battle between swordsmen.

He could have been imagining it. Jon stared at the two in the ring. He ignored the sound of people gathering around him, of the flutter of wings as Teba dropped out of the sky to land on a roof nearby, of Sidon's loud excitement, of Arya hissing her own excitement. Theon's voice managed to penetrate his thoughts.

"Now you'll see, bastard," Theon said to Jon with a smirk, clearly pleased. "Nothing but a servant."

Jon didn't speak. He was watching Link and Eddard as they raised their blades. Everything was silent for a moment. Eddard was so much taller than Link that it should have seemed like a grown man facing a child. It did not. It looked far more like two wolves baring fangs.

They circled each other after a moment, swords held at the ready, stances low. Link had his sword high in almost a mirror of how Jon's father held his.

The courtyard was full of noise, of loud shouting, of bets. But the fighters might as well have been in their own world.

Suddenly, Link sped forward. He seemed to disappear into a flash of movement, covering the space between them. Jon blinked, and suddenly Ice and the Master Sword met.

Earlier, when Rodrick and Robb had sparred with training swords, the clash of their blades had been loud.

This impact was almost deafening in it's noise.

The two blades, one shining bright blue, the other smokey and dark, pressed against each other for a moment. Eddard tried to press down on Link, to use his height advantage and strength against him.

Link set his legs, pushed up, and sent Eddard staggering back. Link capitalized on it, swinging his blade forward in a short thrust. Eddard parried it, being sent further back by the blow, before he regained his feet in time for the aged warrior to dodge another slash, the force of Link's attack sending a gust of wind outward.

Jon felt a rush of shock. His father was being pressed. No. Overwhelmed. Link, despite everything Jon had ever learned about combat, was using sheer muscle to overpower his father. When Link rushed in once more, Eddard focused on using his longer arms and height to keep him back, rather than his strength. Jon understood why. In a single exchange, Link had proven to be Eddard's superior in physical power, despite his smaller stature and mass.

Eddard swung at Link. The shorter fighter _backflipped_ over the attack, Ice slicing through the air beneath him. A perfect dodge. As Link landed, he was already shooting forward. Right under Eddard's guard.

"Father!" Robb, Jon, and Arya shouted in shock as they realized how open Eddard was.

"Get him, Link!" Riju shouted.

Link let out a shout and slashed out in a flurry of blows, sacrificing his defense to go in for the win.

Lord Stark, in a movement so fast Jon couldn't see, used the momentum of his missed swing to spin into a full circle, bringing Ice back to swing at Link. It was a move that, if Jon had used it, would have been followed by Rodrick shouting for a full five minutes about showoffs that got torn in half in a real battle.

Eddard, on the other hand, had apparently known he didn't have much choice. The only way to return to face Link was to go against his instincts.

Ice and Master Sword clanged together. A quiver filled the air, Master Sword shining brighter than ever. They pulled back from each other, then lashed out. The loud clanging of blades began to ring out, the flashing blue and smokey black clashing together.

Eddard fought more carefully now, making sure to keep his guard up even as he fought aggressively. Link, surprisingly, fought with a defensive style, responding to Eddard's attacks more often than making his own. When he did strike, however, his strength was enough to drive the Stark back. However, Eddard was still holding his own, using his experience to bridge the gap in physical ability between them.

Like two alpha's fighting for control of the pack, they fought more furiously than Jon had ever seen his father fight. For a moment, Jon feared that his father and Link had forgotten this was a simple spar.

Despite clashing with Ice multiple times, the Master Sword was still utterly pristine in appearance, despite what Jon had learned about valyrian steel swords. At one point, both fighters began to move around the ring, back and forth, dueling with fierce speed and focus, their faces set in fierce concentration. The sounds around Jon seemed to fade as he watched them. He found his vision beginning to go black and his chest tightening. He realized he had been holding his breath instinctively, focusing everything on the fight. He took air into his lungs.

Eddard and Link rushed towards one another again. Their swords pressed together, quivering. Eddard twisted Ice, trying to unbalance Link. Link pressed harder, attempting to use his greater strength to force Eddard back.

Eddard pulled back. Link, for a moment, stumbled forward. Eddard lashed out at him. Ice sliced towards Link's chest.

The Master Sword sung in the air as she sliced upwards. It slammed into Ice with immense force. Both blades let out a sound like the world was being torn apart. Link had made a perfect parry, at just the moment he needed it most. Both warriors shouted. The Master Sword swung once more.

Ice was sent flying through the air, the smokey blade landing point first in the earth. Link, in a violently fast motion, brought the point of the Master Sword to Eddard's throat.

"Fuck me," Theon said softly.

Eddard and Link stared at each other, both panting loudly. Then Eddard nodded. Link lowered his blade with a sigh. They shared a small smile before Lord Stark did something very surprising.

He laughed.

Link grinned at the Stark as the other man let out an honest laugh. Eddard shook his head. "I knew you were stronger than you looked."

"He'd have to be," Rodrick grumbled nearby.

The blonde didn't seem to mind the comment. Instead, he walked over to pull Ice out of the earth. He went back to give Eddard the blade.

"Thank you," Eddard said politely. Then he raised the blade. "Shall we?"

Link nodded, raising his own sword. With a loud shout, they met in the middle once more, Jon watching with everyone else with avid interest.


	7. Chapter 7

_Hyrule Castle_

A line of guards stood ready outside the shrine that had been called the 'Portal Shrine' by those who knew about it. Made up of Hyrulian, Zora, and Gerudo forces, the races in Hyrule who had an actual standing army, they were waiting for any sign of trouble to come from the shrine. Thus far, nothing bad had happened.

Still, when it shone a bright blue, the shimmering portal coming to life, they were ready. Hyrulians clutches royal weapons close, archers ready to let loose. Zora lifted spears up for battle. Gerudo warrior woman held their weapons out, their grips seemingly lose, but really tight as iron, ready to unleash their dancing style of combat.

Then Zelda stepped forth from the portal. The guards relaxed immediately, calming themselves, though they still held weapons ready just in case. Zelda looked around and smiled at them.

"We have arrived with guests. Please, do not be alarmed," she said as Link stepped forward.

The guards watched with trepidation as Zelda and Link took positions on either side of the portal. Then, _he_ stepped out.

He was tall, as tall as some Gerudo woman. His ears were painfully short, and his build was thick. His face was covered in a thick beard. He looked like Hyrulian, but with enough differences that one could easily tell he wasn't. He was also wearing a heavy furcoat over leather armor, and wore a greatsword that was taller than most Hyrulians.

"Hail, Lord Eddard Stark, of Westeros," Zelda said with a smile. "And his attendants."

Behind him, three people strode forward. Walder, Jon, and Rodrik, came forth. The Westerosi men came to a stop on seeing the guards before them, Rodrick reflexively touching his swords handle.

"Welcome to Hyrule," Zelda said kindly, bowing to Ned just a bit. Then she frowned. "Or at least, this room under Hyrule Castle. We shall have to go upstairs so you can see something more interesting."

"Believe me, your Grace," Ned said, stunned as he stared at the group of nonhumans before him. "I find this quite interesting already."

Ned's choice of people to bring to Hyrule was made with the simple thought of who was least likely to cause issues.

First, Ned himself had to go. Queen Zelda had gone into far more unknown dangers after all, and he would do her the respect of doing the same in turn. More than that, he had two other reasons. First, simple curiosity. While the Sheikah Plate was able to display the wonders of Hyrule in perfect quality, better than the best portraits Ned had ever seen by an incredible magnitude, there was something to be said for seeing things for yourself. Second, his presence would be essential on the trip. He trusted his men, true, but as their leader he was the one who had to see their potential allies strength, weaknesses, to see how they governed, what sort of land they came from. The fact he could do it with such ease made it that much easier.

Then, there was Walder. In all his battles, Walder had been a constant presence. His friend and fellow warrior, a man of honor and intelligence who had his back no matter the horrors they faced. If he was to go to an unknown land, Ned didn't know who would be better to bring along. Mostly because Walder would do his best to come whether Ned asked him to or not.

Then, there was Rodrik. As his primary military advisor, Rodrik had a mindset that Ned decided would be useful. It might be easy to simply stare in fascination at all the wonders of Hyrule, caught up in a land of monsters and races from fantasy. Maester Luwin, bless him, was someone who would want to learn and research everything he could. He would return to logical thinking very quickly, but the initial distraction was better to hold off on for later.

Rodrik, on the other hand, would be surprised by something for a moment. Then he would grumble, shove it into his world view, then move on with life. He wasn't infallible, true. But he was far more likely to see things in terms of 'threat/not threat', a useful mindset when entering enemy territory. Or, in this case, possible ally territory.

The last, however had caused some contention. Robb had wanted to go. But he had to stay behind to rule Winterfell in Ned's stead. Theon had wanted to go, the young boy jealous of Jon. But Ned knew that was a recipe for disaster. The young Greyjoy had a way of rubbing people the wrong way. They were lucky that Theon had yet to approach any of the Hyrulians (Though Ned had warned Robb to make sure that stayed that way while he was gone).

As for why Jon had to come along, Ned wanted to give his secret nephew a look at the world beyond Winterfell. There was more than that of course. It was in the way Jon was looking at Link now. The way he eyed the warrior. Something about that made Ned think bringing him to Hyrule would have interesting benefits.

And now, here they were, walking through the halls of a castle from another land, after a journey of mere feet from Winterfell's main gate.

But honestly, did it have to be so _hot_? He'd been told it would be warm, not scorching. He'd come in some of his lighter furs, but he still felt like he was sweating bullets.

Ned looked over at Queen Zelda, who was guiding them through the halls with a smile on her face. "Your Grace, your castle is impressive," he said as kindly as he could.

Queen Zelda turned to look at him, and her smile was positively radiant, her blush quite pretty. Ned felt a fondness for her. She may have carried herself with the grace of royalty, but she was also young-looking enough that he often found himself comparing her to Sansa and Arya. She was older than them of course, but there was still a hint of the young girl she had once been under the queen she had become.

"Thank you, Lord Stark," Zelda said. "I know it isn't quite as impressive as your own, so I am happy to have your approval."

"I cannot take credit for Winterfell," he reminded her gently. "It was created by Bran the Builder after all, and expanded upon for centuries after. Your own was left untouched this last century."

Zelda's smile became a touch sad before she regrouped. "Thank you. Now, to business," leading Ned, Link, Jon, Rodrik, and Walder, as well as a small group of guards, they continued their tour.

* * *

Zelda showed them throughout the castle. Ned quickly realized a couple of things.

First, while Hyrule Castle was smaller in terms of area than Winterfell, it was far taller. Not to the heights of the famed Casterly Rock that the Lannisters had ruled from for centuries, but still quite tall. It also carried the marks of conflict. While it looked as though it had been slowly getting cleaner, and the main structure of the tower was still quite solid, there were some signs of the battles that had been fought within recently. Scorch marks upon the stones, rubble leaving some halls closed off, and large portions of the castle that were destroyed.

Still, it was impressive in a few ways. The entire castle had been built atop a mountain and blended in with the landscape from top to bottom, a path going up the mountain. The path had several gates guarding it at interval, a few of which had been newly built. The main part of the castle was where they were now, but the windows were open enough that he could see into the landscape beyond.

So much green. For miles around, fields of grass, forests, flowers, and crystal clear water running through rivers. Even with the ruins he could see dotting the landscape, Hyrule still looked like a beautiful land rivaling the Reach in beauty.

They went into the large dining hall, found their way to the small docks situated under the castle, a library where dozens of people were rebuilding destroyed stairs and floors, the guard's chamber where Rodrik and Jon watched in interest as men and women alike trained in various combat styles.

And then, there were the people. As Zelda guided them, men and women of various races would stop what they were doing to bow politely as they passed. Tall dark-skinned women with pointy noses like Rito but even more muscular and taller than Ned himself, Hylians like Link and Zelda, men and woman covered in scales that were similar in appearance to Sidon but more slight, and the massive forms of beings like Yunobu. As they walked along, Jon stopped to stare in awe at the sight of two people flying past. One was a Rito like Teba, covered in dark black feathers, her body somehow more feminine in shape. The other was a Hylian woman, clutching tightly to a glider as she laughed. The pair met in the air, hugging close, then drifted apart again.

Ned wasn't sure how to take that.

Soon they reached the throne room. Or what had once been the throne room.

There were all the signs of a throne room, a large and spacious round room in the center of the castle. There were red-carpeted stairs leading along each side of the round room to go up to a pair of thrones.

There was also, however, a massive hole in the center of the room. It was surrounded by a large stone wall that had been hastily erected, but otherwise left untouched. Looking into it, one could imagine it was bottomless, the walls of the hole covered in strange carvings.

Ned noticed that when Link stopped to look at the hole, a savage grin crossed his face. It reminded him of Robert, when his old friend was thinking of some great enemy he had killed long ago.

Ned understood then, having heard this story. He moved on.

Zelda walked up to one of the fish people, who was working at a table that had been placed just before the thrones along with a contingent of other people. The fish man looked elderly, his green and white skin covered in wrinkles, with silver jewelry and adornments placed across his body. His head was shaped like that of a manta ray. But when he saw Zelda, the look of surprise on his face was very human.

"My Lady!" the man stepped towards them, glancing at the group around her. "You're back!"

"Yes, I am. Thank you for caring for Hyrule in my stead, Muzu."

The man, Muzu, bowed. "O-Of course… My lady, are these-"

"Yes," Zelda looked at Ned and his group, who Muzu was eyeing. "This is Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, his son Jon Snow, Rodrik Cassel, and Ser Walder, the Giant of the North."

"Lofty title," Walder mumbled to himself, getting a smirk from Link.

Muzu, in the meanwhile, was glaring at the group of them suspiciously. Oh, he hid it well. Ned was barely able to see the suspicion in his eyes. Ned, despite his years of ruling, was not a very political man, and Muzu's inhuman face made him even harder to read. But it was there.

Ned was almost relieved. While he preferred straight-forwardness in his dealing with fellow rulers, Zelda had been almost _too_ friendly, too open. Dangerously so. It was clear that while she had great power, she had not ruled for long as Queen. Muzu, on the other hand, had some skill in politics.

"Lord Stark," Muzu bowed his head, more of a nod really. "It is a pleasure. I am Muzu, trusted advisor to Queen Zelda."

"A pleasure, Ser Muzu," Ned said gruffly. He was certain he didn't pronounce the man's name quite correctly, but he didn't seem to mind.

"He is here to assess our nation, as we have his own, and see about finalizing a deal between us," Zelda said.

"Nothing major, I assume. For all the esteem I have for your skills, my Queen, I imagine Lord Stark will need the approval of his own rulers for a treaty," Muzu pointed out.

Ned nodded. "Indeed. But I am willing to provide manpower and skill in return for food and supplies. My land struggles when it comes to providing a harvest, but your own lands are fertile. Queen Zelda tells me you need aid in rebuilding," Ned very obviously did not look at the hole in the center of the room, though Jon couldn't help himself. "The North has thousands of people I can ask to aid you. I will not force anyone. But I think, on seeing this land, they will be eager to aid you, if only to get out of the cold."

Though personally, Ned was really hoping to return home soon. This place was entirely too hot for him.

"I see," Muzu hummed, looking at Queen Zelda, who nodded her agreement. "I believe I can help then. Would you like to-"

The group was interrupted by Link, who coughed just a bit. Then he nodded towards Rodrik, Walder, and Jon.

"Oh?" Zelda seemed to understand immediately. "Yes, that makes sense. Ser Eddard, would you mind if Link took everyone else on a hunt while you discussed terms with us?"

Ned blinked, looking at Link. "So soon?"

"Best to see the threats of this land for yourselves," Zelda affirmed.

Ned stilled. A hunt. Not for a boar or deer, as he usually thought when he heard the word 'hunt', but for something stronger.

"What are you talking about?" Rodrik scowled. "I'm not leaving just to go gallivanting for some-"

"Rodrik," Ned cut him off. "Go. Let me know what you see… And be careful."

Rodrik stared at him, mouth opening and closing, before he seemed to realize what Ned had. Then his mouth snapped closed, and he nodded his head. "Very well."

Jon looked around, clenching and unclenching his fists. "You mean we're going out?"

"Seems that way," Walder said with a smile.

Link bowed to Zelda and Ned, then turned and began to walk quickly away.

"Not even going to wait for us?" Walder asked.

The Champion chuckled, but continued to walk.

"Well, come on, Jon," Walder bowed to Ned and Zelda as well, then guided the teen along. "I suppose it's time we learn how to hunt monsters."

* * *

 _Dragonstone, the Narrow Sea_

In her chambers in Dragonstone, gifted to her by Stannis Baratheon, Melisandre of Asshai stared into flames. They danced and flitted before her, warming her skin, as she looked into the world to come. It was something she did often, to attempt to divine. She was becoming more and more successful as time passed, recently. The flames showed her so much, now. The future had become unclear, but the present was revealed to her with excellent clarity.

She looked into King's Landing, where the court of King Baratheon had left in the wake of Jon Arryn's death. There, the movers and shakers of the court prepared themselves for the changes to come. Melisandre found herself smirking. As if the petty squabbles of men would mean anything in the wars to come.

The Red Witch turned her attention to the King's procession. Even more amusement filled her. It was ridiculous procession. A drunken fat man, a beautiful queen who acted more like a spoiled child, and a spoiled child who was secretly a sociopath and bastard, ranting and raving towards each other and everyone around them as they slowly made their way North.

Then she turned her eyes to Winterfell. Her vision seemed to clear even further. She eagerly leaned towards the flames. And then, for a moment, they flickered. She didn't see Winterfell. Instead, she looked upon someplace new.

A castle atop a mountain, with sunlight coming down upon fields of green grass around it, with rivers of clear water all about.

Melisandre felt as though she was being pulled in. The vision became clearer and clearer. It went into the castle itself. There she saw four men. Three were from Westeros, the tallest of which she immediately recognized as Walder the Giant.

Then she saw _him_.

He strode with the grace of a dancer. His eyes were a searing blue. His blonde hair flowed with each step. And for a moment, the flames flickered. Melisandre felt her mind _open._

He had been born at the beginning of his lands creation, and would be there for it's end. He walked across battlefields across the centuries, ancient memories within a forever young soul and body. His hands were soaked in blood, steeped in magic. He had dived into the darkness, soared in the light.

She saw it over and over. She was no longer staring into the flames, but kneeling on the floor, clutching her head. She was screaming. The (memories/truth/lives) flowed into and out of her, never staying long enough to leave more than an impression.

A battle in the skies, the Hero slicing down with a blade of lightning into the heart of evil itself. A wolf in twilight ripping it's enemies apart. A child out of time, ripping through the same evil, wearing a mask to ascend into a dark god.

Then, the symbol. It burned out of the visions. It became her whole world. Three triangles. A simple geometric pattern. And it was _everything._ But for him, the right bottom triangle sang. A song of hope in the inevitable, of stubborness, of rage… of courage.

The fires blazed forth, scorching her right palm. Her eyes stared into nothing. And then, she saw it.

The sword. The Sword That Seals the Darkness. The sword forged in the fires of battle. The sword pulled out by the hero. The sword that brings light. The Lightbring-

The visions stopped. For a long moment, Melisandre twitched on the floor, unable to feel anything, even the pain of her burnt right palm. She stared blindly at the world, opening and closing her mouth, sweat dripping off her face, breasts, and arms to soak the stones beneath her. Tears poured down her cheeks.

The sword. The man. They shone out in her mind, blazing forth like the flames that had now died.

Melisandre found herself certain, now and forever, that she had found her purpose.

And it would be fulfilled. No matter who got in her way.

 _Hyrule Castle, Castle Stables_

Standing before the newly built stables of Hyrule Castle, just before the fields, Link, Jon, Rodrik, and Walder had met up with the stablemaster. A large section of land had been fenced off, with horses strolling around it, eating the grass that grew healthily in their pen.

"So two horses?" the stablemaster asked Link. When the knight nodded, the Rito stablemaster frowned. "You sure about those two horses? I mean, the big one is… persnickety."

Link cocked an eyebrow at the stablemaster. Then he looked behind him at Walder. The stablemaster did the same, his beak quirking in sudden realization.

"Ah. Very well, champion."

Link watched the man walk away, listening idly as Walder, Jon, and Rodrik talked behind him.

"Are we really just going out to fight monsters?" Jon asked, trying to sound like he wasn't unnerved. "Like Sidon and Yunobu?"

Walder nudged him, scowling. "Sidon and Yunobu aren't monsters, Jon. I rather think they and those like them would be offended by such a statement."

Jon blinked, then spun to look at Link, a guilty look on his face. Link turned just a bit to look at him, then turned away again.

Rodrik shrugged. "But yes, I suppose we are going to fight monsters, boy. Not something I ever thought I'd have to do, but a blade is a blade, an enemy is an enemy," Rodrik grumbled while looking around. "Still, does it have to be so damned hot?"

It was true. While Winterfell was currently in the middle of summer, and thus was covered in green across it's lands, it was still far chillier than Hyrule.

Soon, the stablemaster returned, pulling two horses along. One was a little larger than the other, but not by much, just enough that it was clearly meant for Walder.

"Sure you don't want the Giant?" the stablemaster asked, eyeing Walder. For a moment, the Westeros natives thought he somehow knew Walder's nickname. Then Link turned to look at the pen. When they looked over as well, the Giant stood out.

He was incredible. He towered over the other horses, their heads only coming up to his shoulder. His legs alone were taller than Link was. His skin was coal black, and his hair was long and flowing, a deep orange color like fire.

Link shook his head with a sad sigh.

Walder stared at the horse, a horse practically made for him. "Why not that one?"

Link explained. Because that horse, named Phantom, had not been tamed. It had chosen. Link was it's rider. Only Link. And anyone else that tried would be trampled by a beast capable of shattering granite with his hooves.

Walder, frowning at that, accepted to reins to the large, but nowhere near as large as Phantom, horse he'd been given. "Very well. And will you and Jon ride with us?"

Link smirked. Jon felt a jolt of fear.

"OLD GODS, SLOW DOWN!" Jon screamed, clutching at Link for dear life as they bounced across the landscape. He screamed again as they leaped off a hill and were airborne for a long moment, his stomach falling under him. Then they landed, and once again they were rushing along at high speed.

The ride underneath them, a strange mount Link called the Master Cycle Zero, roared across the landscape with the pair of young men atop it. It was shaped like a smaller horse, right down to the carving at the front of it, with a 'horn' of strange metal pointing straight ahead. It 'ran' on wheels that somehow moved on their own. The front wheel turned at Link's command, sending them careening about faster than any horse Jon had ever ridden.

It was exhilarating but somehow terrifying. At those speeds, Jon was somehow more aware than ever of how easy it was to die by hitting something. The wind whistled past, flecks of dust kept hitting his face, and Link wouldn't stop leaping off hills!

They drove across the open hills of Hyrule Field, followed by Walder and Rodrik. Sometimes they slowed so they could catch up. Then Link would point where they were going, and zoom forward once again.

They passed by deer in forests, horses grazing in open fields, and small rough farms that had sprouted up in the flatter sections. At one point, they rode past a guardian.

The strange 'machine' as Link and Zelda called things like the Sheikah Plate, Master Cycle Zero, and other such wonders reminded Jon of the crabs that were sometimes shipped in from the coast. The long legs that carried a squat and powerful body, with the body itself shaped more like a very short guard tower, rather than anything organic. It had a single glowing eye that shone a bright blue, with lines across its metal form that shone the same color of blue, as well as a shade of orange.

Link kept a close and suspicious eye on that creature as they rode past. The creature ignored them, however. It simply roamed around, claws carrying it with incredibly light steps across the fields, it's head spinning around and around to look at everything at once.

"Is it dangerous?" Jon yelled to Link.

Link hesitated. Then he moved on.

Soon, they came upon an area next to a river. Link slowed down to a stop, rolling across the ground. From the hill he'd chosen to stop on, Jon had an excellent view of the forest. It was rather pretty, the trees gathered around a clearing that opened up onto a beachy shore next to a river.

Jon got off the master cycle as soon as he could, sighing in relief as he took in the feel of his boots pressing down onto hard-packed earth and blades of grass. But his real focus was on the clearing.

"Bloody fuck, that thing is fast," Rodrik grumbled as he rode up on his own horse, swinging off of it. "Like damned lightni-... Fuck."

"That's a lot bigger than I thought it was," Walder noted as he walked up to join the quartet. "And the pictures looked pretty damn big."

A giant rested in the center of the clearing. It was asleep, snoring as a massive round belly rose and fell. A necklace of weapons rested about it's chest. A single eye took up most of its round face, it's skin a deep blue. It wore a loincloth, a vest, and two wooden greaves on each leg. It was the size of a small house, with odd bestial proportions. It's snoring was like an echoing roar, an almost comical bubble of snot growing and shrinking as it breathed.

"So we're here to kill that?" Rodrik asked. Jon turned to stare at him. The beast had skin that looked tough as stone, was as tall as the trees around it, and he was unfazed?

Link shook his head, point towards himself. He took a moment to touch the sheikah plate.

The Hylian had already changed back at the castle, now wearing an armored chest plate, pale green cloth, and more armor around his arms. Now a mask popped out of the Sheikah plate in a flash of blue. When Link put the mask on, his eyes were now shining a bright white. The mask had a pale green hat that went along with it, and made his hair appear white.

He looked… fierce. Monstrous. With his face covered, Jon could no longer see his usually playful smile. Only the neutral gaze of a warrior. Combined with the chestplate, it was intimidating.

Link began to stride forward.

"Just you?" Walder asked. "You sure you won't need help?"

The Hylian shook his head. Then, without preamble, he rushed forward.

On his back, the Master Sword flashed out of existence. What replaced it was a massive sword. It was almost as tall as Link himself, but looked very different from any blade Jon had seen before. Rather than a single blade, it looked like two swords had been twisted together, leaving two gaps, one near the point and the other near the hilt. One of the 'blades' was a deep green color. The other was more of a blue.

Rather than the sword, Link pulled his bow off his shoulders instead. When he put an arrow to it, Jon blinked. The bow was covered in black metal, but it still had wood at it's core, and seemed normal. But the arrow was strange. It had a ball attached to the end of it. Then the ball seemed to spark to life. And when Link fired, the arrow crossed the space between himself and the giant only a moment before Link fired it again, and a third time, at a ridiculously fast rate.

The first arrow hit. Then it exploded in a ball of flame, Jon stepping back in shock.

"Ah… so that's a bomb arrow," Walder mumbled to himself.

 _"GRUUUUH!"_ the blue giant grumbled, shaking itself awake as the second and third bomb hit it, sending it rolling along the ground. The clearing was scorched by the massive amount of flames caused by the bombs, debris flying about as leaves fell from the trees to drift onto the ground and floating into the river.

Still struggling to awaken, the giant's eye snapped open, long fingernails carving at the dirt as it got to its feet. Then it saw Link.

Link put away the bow and lifted the massive blade off his back, hefting it in his arms. He strode almost casually towards the giant now glaring at him with a single enraged eye. The creature roared, reaching out and pulling a tree from the ground to heft like a club.

 _"GRUH!"_ with that barking sound, it ran towards Link, the earth shaking with each booming footstep. While it's gait was ponderous and slow due to its size, it was still making speed towards Link.

On the other hand, the far smaller warrior continued to stride calmly forward.

They met in the center. The giant swung the tree-club at Link in a sideways swipe. Jon shouted in worry while Rodrik stepped forward and clutched at his blade.

Link backflipped into the air, letting the club pass underneath him. For a moment, everything stilled. Link seemed to hang there. Then he landed and seemed to disappear, only to reappear at the feet of the giant.

"Hyaaaaa!" Link roared, spinning in a circle while holding his blade out. The blade smashed into the wooden armor on the giant's legs, shattering them apart and sending it stumbling back.

The monster roared, raising it's tree/club up and bringing it down on Link's head.

A burst of orange light surrounded Link in an orb. When the club hit the orange orb of light, the orb exploded outwards. For a moment, Jon thought he could see a figure standing before Link. Made up of green light, it reminded him of Yunobo, only even larger, standing there with arm's spread wide, a smile on his face as he protected Link.

Link dropped to his knees as the green figure flickered away and the Giant stumbled back a step. Green flickers of flame surrounded him. Wind seemed to rise from the earth at his feet for several feet around him. The giant reached out for Link.

He _jumped_ , pulling out his glider at the same time. The wind around him exploded upwards, pushing up against his glider to elevate him dozens of feet. Another green spirit, this one similar to Teba, swirled around Link, seeming to guide the winds and send him higher and higher, until he was as high as a tower.

He hung there for a moment, flying above them all while the green spirit disappeared with an arrogant smirk. Then he folded up his glider and began to fall towards the Hinox. The creature stared up at him, arms reaching up to try and grab at him fruitlessly. Apparently the creature, for all it's fearsome size, was extremely dumb as well.

Link pulled out his bow in mid-air. Then, in a display of archery like nothing Jon had ever seen, he proceeded to fire shot after shot at insane speeds, landing the first arrow in the beasts eye. It screamed in pain, staggering back and falling onto it's ass. Link didn't stop, firing shot after shot into the creatures head, chest, and arms.

Just before he hit the ground, Link put away his bow and pulled out his glider again, turning a drop from the sky into a gentle fall. He landed and put away the glider again, pulling out his blade. The giant blearily opened it's massive eye in time to see Link swing his blade in a circle, the twisted sword slicing open the creatures belly.

 _"GREEE!"_ the creature screamed pitifully, it's intestines pouring out and steaming as blood spilled.

As Link spun, streams of lightning suddenly poured out from around him along with those green flames. He completed his turn by stabbing the sword into the giant's chest. As he did, another spirit appeared. She was like a taller and more built Riju, with the same long hair and large nose. The woman snapped her fingers.

From a cloudless sky, lightning crashed down around Link. The creature gasped noiselessly as the area around them was scorched by green electricity, his muscles convulsing, flesh cooking. Then, while Jon watched, the creature fell back, Link pulling his sword from it's chest, and died at last.

"Gods," Rodrik whispered, his eyes wide, mouth opening and closing.

"That thing was… and he just," Jon mumbled.

"Yes, yes he did," Walder whispered.

Then, Link turned to look at them. Behind him, the green spirit turned as well. She looked at them. And then she looked at Walder.

She smirked at the Giant. Then she pointed at her eyes with her pinky and index finger, then pointed them at Walder before fading into green flames.

"I… I'm not sure how to take that?" Walder said, confused.

"Maybe you should think on who you decide to court better then," Rodrik mumbled just out of Walder's hearing.

Link had joined them by then, putting away the mask he'd worn. Then he pointed in the distance.

"What?" Jon asked, surprised. "This isn't where you wanted to go?"

Link shook his head and explained. The monster, a Hinox, must have simply migrated too close to the castle, so he'd taken care of it before it could cause trouble. The real target was a small encampment of less dangerous monsters that had been attacking travelers.

"Hmm…" Rodrik stroked his chin. "Very well. Suppose we'll be more useful helping you with those?"

Link grinned and nodded.

"Well, lead the way," Rodrik looked at Jon. "Suppose this will be good for you boy. A real battle."

Jon swallowed nervously and nodded his agreement.

Then he felt even more nervous when Link swung onto the Master Cycle and looked at him expectantly.

"Old Gods and New, you're an absolute madman aren't you?" Jon mumbled to the man who could apparently summon fucking lightning from a cloudless sky.

Link nodded happily.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_ This chapter was an odd struggle, but I'm glad to have it out now. So, to be clear. Link is a badass, yes. But I'm planning for the next chapter with a fight to have Jon, Rodrik, and Walder show their own chops.

Then there is the deal between Zelda and Eddard, which will finally be finished and worked on. But then, there is one more thing. The greater whole of Westeros is going to start begging for the attention of Hyrule. And they'll be pretty mad about what they find.

There's a lot I'd like to have some fun with of course. For one thing, Daenery's is going to be hard to have running around the story and changing like the others, but I'll figure something out there.

Much easier will be King's Landing, the North, and other things. Can't wait to have Dorne meet the Gerudo for example.

I also decided to go with the book descriptions of the locations from here on out. Winterfell, Casterly Rock, the Red Keep, they are all much more impressive and insane than their show counterparts. Which means they are perfect for my story. Zelda wants help rebuilding, get a motherfucker with big buildings.


End file.
